Dina Spann, 58, lost her left forearm and part of a finger after a nine-foot alligator attacked her while she was swimming during a family boating trip on Florida’s Silver River. Despite the severe injuries, she has shared an upbeat video diary of her recovery, saying the animal took “a piece” of her but not her spirit.

Spann reportedly fought back to protect two teenage relatives, while bystanders used an anchor rope to help control the bleeding before she reached medical care. The alligator was removed and the river reopened, amid calls for authorities to permit the removal of large animals; the incident followed other recent Florida attacks, including a fatality and an 11-year-old boy losing his hand.