‘Her Arm Is Gone’: Terrifying 911 Calls Reveal Desperate Fight to Save Florida Mother After Alligator Attack

A relaxing day on Florida’s Silver River turned into a nightmare when a 58-year-old mother was attacked by an alligator, leaving her with catastrophic injuries. Newly released emergency calls capture the panic as witnesses struggled to get her out of the water and summon help.

Dina Rae Spann was enjoying a trip on the Silver River near Ray Wayside Park in Marion County, Florida, in August when the alligator suddenly attacked.

The terrifying aftermath was revealed in two 911 recordings obtained by the New York Post. In one call, a female witness can be heard trying to explain the severity of Spann’s injuries to the emergency dispatcher.

“Somebody got bit by an alligator. I think her arm got bit. It’s dangling off,” the caller reportedly said.

When the dispatcher sought clarification, the witness explained that Spann had lost a substantial part of her arm and urgently needed medical assistance.

Another call captured the desperation of people at the scene. Amid screams and crying in the background, a caller told the operator: “Her arm is gone.”

The recordings offer a disturbing glimpse into the moments after the attack, as bystanders worked to get the injured woman away from the water and to safety.

A desperate fight against the alligator

Spann’s son, Zach Guerrina, later described how his mother fought to survive.

According to Guerrina, she tried to hold the alligator’s jaws open while struggling to reach the surface for air. He said she was also trying to prevent the animal from biting her legs.

The attack left Spann with devastating injuries. Her right arm was amputated below the elbow, and she also lost part of a finger on her left hand.

A nearby boater, John Gamache, recalled seeing an alligator moving rapidly toward the swimmers.

He rushed to help after realizing someone was in danger. Gamache described the injuries as horrific, recalling exposed bones and blood at the scene.

The injured woman was brought out of the water and transported to hospital, where doctors treated her severe wounds.

The alligator was found and removed

Wildlife officials responded to the incident and worked to locate the animal believed to have attacked Spann.

A 9-foot, 8-inch alligator was removed from the Silver River the following day. The river was subsequently reopened to the public.

The attack has renewed attention to the risks of swimming in Florida’s freshwater waterways, where alligators naturally inhabit rivers, lakes and marshes.

Spann’s family has expressed gratitude to the people who rushed to help her. Gamache also said he later received a call from her relatives thanking him for his actions.

Despite losing her arm, Spann has continued her recovery. In a video shared on social media, she reflected on the experience with a determined message: “The gator got a piece of me. It didn’t get the best of me.”

Her survival stands in stark contrast to the panic captured in the emergency recordings. What began as a day on the water became a life-changing ordeal, with strangers racing against time to save a mother who had suffered devastating injuries.

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