Florida woman’s arm torn off by alligator while she was swimming in prohibited area. But her son claims it’s all because of tourists

A Florida grandmother lost her arm after an alligator attacked her while she was swimming in a restricted section of the Silver River in Marion County. Dina Spann, 58, had her right arm amputated below the elbow and also lost at least one finger on her left hand, according to her son, Zach Guerrina, who told the New York Post.

Guerrina, 38, said his mother’s right arm was left “hanging off by a thread” after the attack. He said he was on the same day trip as his mother but was not present when the alligator struck.

Guerrina blamed tourists and social media influencers for making alligators more comfortable around people. “There’s literally videos of people petting alligators. When you do that, these things lose fear of humans and if it gets close enough to you, it’s gonna bite you,” he said.

Son says he has swum in the river for years without incident

Guerrina said he grew up in Florida and has swum in the Silver River many times without ever running into an alligator. “Growing up in Florida, that has never been a thing. I’m in the water all the time and I’ve never had a gator want to approach,” he said.

He said the area has seen an influx of tourists and new residents who are not familiar with alligators. “We’ve got a lot of tourists down here and a lot of people that’s moved to Florida that’s never seen an alligator before,” Guerrina said.

He said he became aware of TikTok videos showing tourists getting too close to alligators while kayaking on the river after his mother’s attack. He added that his family had floated on the river “hundreds of times” before without any problems.

Guerrina said he believes more attacks are likely to happen if people keep feeding alligators. “It’s going to happen again out there, because if they’re feeding them like that, they’re going to come up to you,” he said.

Spann’s attack happened about a month after two other alligator attacks in Florida. Construction worker Brittany Clark, 31, was killed on June 28 when an alligator ripped off her arm while she was in the Econlockhatchee River in Seminole County.

A day before that, an 11-year-old boy from Pennsylvania named Brodie Terry lost his hand after an alligator attacked his arm while he was fishing with his father in Marion County. The attack happened as the boy was releasing a fish back into the water.

Guerrina, who works as a carpenter, said he believes the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission should issue more permits for alligator hunting. “There’s too many gators out here,” he said. “We’ve got three people that’s been bit these last weeks – a kid lost his hand, a girl died and now this.”

He added that he does not want alligators eradicated but believes they should be kept out of areas used by swimmers. “I’m not saying eradicate gators but if you’re going to put them somewhere, put them in the marsh,” he said. “If you’re in spring water, you shouldn’t have to be concerned about an alligator.”

Trappers working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission caught and removed a 9-foot, 8-inch alligator from the Silver River on Sunday. The river was reopened to the public after the alligator was removed.

Guerrina described his mother as a “hippie soul” who loves animals and traveling. He said she had just returned from a trip to Africa before the attack happened. He said she has stayed in “good spirits” and remained “cool as a cucumber” despite losing her arm.