A 58-year-old mother, identified by her family as Dina Spann, has died after being attacked by an alligator while swimming in Florida's Silver River, despite the presence of a posted "no swimming" sign. Relatives say Spann, described as a nature lover, had ignored the warning to bathe in the river when the attack occurred, turning the previously clear water red with her blood. The case has drawn attention to the risks of swimming in Florida's waterways, which are widely known to be inhabited by alligators, and to the presence of official warnings that went unheeded.

Family members have shared distressing details of how the attack unfolded, describing the change in the water's appearance as the incident took place. Spann's death adds to a string of alligator-related incidents in Florida, a state where such attacks, while relatively rare, occur periodically in rivers, lakes and canals frequented by swimmers and tourists. Authorities and wildlife officials in the state routinely caution against swimming in unmarked or signposted natural waters because of the risk posed by alligators.