Kayaker loses arm and finger in Florida alligator attack

Dina Rae Spann, 58, lost her right arm and a finger on her left hand after an alligator attacked her while she was kayaking on Florida’s Silver River in August. Newly reported 911 calls capture the panic as fellow kayakers and boaters tried to get her out of the water and summon help.

A nearby boater said he saw the alligator moving quickly towards swimmers and stopped to help; the group took Spann to shore, where first responders met them and rushed her to hospital. An alligator trapper located the reptile later that day. Spann has since shared updates on her recovery, saying she is learning to celebrate small victories.