Florida paddleboarder rescues woman from alligator attack

A Florida paddleboarder saved a woman from an alligator attack in the Silver River over the weekend. On Saturday, the woman was swimming when an alligator bit her arm, according to local reports. Paddleboarder Mike Heard heard women yelling "Gator!" and immediately reacted. He described the moment as "almost like a missile" as the alligator moved towards the woman.

He tried to determine the best course of action, considering the potential danger to himself. The alligator held onto the woman's arm, and Heard used his paddle to try to distract and dislodge it. Another boater came to their aid and helped bring the woman to shore. She was suffering from a bleeding wound, so Heard used a rope as a tourniquet to control the bleeding.

Authorities have since captured a 9ft 8in alligator from the area. This incident is not the first of its kind; several other alligator attacks have occurred in Florida this summer, including one where Brittany Clark tragically died from injuries sustained in Seminole County. With the state's growing population and increasing human-alligator encounters, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) advises the public to avoid feeding alligators, maintain a safe distance, and swim only in designated areas during daylight hours.