A Florida paddleboarder rushed toward danger after hearing two women desperately yelling about an alligator in the Silver River. Mike Head was spending time on the water with his family in Marion County when he suddenly heard the women yelling, “Gator!” What followed was a terrifying encounter that saw Head paddle toward an alligator attacking a woman rather than attempting to get away.
The incident happened Saturday, August 8, while the woman was swimming in the Silver River. An alligator reportedly bit her arm and refused to let go. Head told Fox 35 that he was around 20 to 30 feet away when he saw the animal moving through the water toward the woman.
“It was almost like a missile,” he recalled. Head said several thoughts raced through his mind as he paddled toward the attack, including whether the woman was still alive and whether jumping into the situation could leave him seriously injured as well. Despite the danger, he continued toward her.
Paddleboarder Tries to Drive Alligator Away
When Head reached the woman, the alligator reportedly still had its jaws locked around her arm. He attempted to position himself so that he could use his paddle against the animal without accidentally striking the woman or falling into the water himself. Head eventually swung the paddle toward the alligator. He wasn’t sure whether he actually connected with it, but the animal disappeared.
Another boater then arrived to help get the injured woman to shore. The ordeal wasn’t over yet. With the woman bleeding heavily from her arm, Head grabbed a rope and used it as a makeshift tourniquet.
Despite what had just happened, Head recalled the woman looking at him and telling him, “Tie it tight.” Authorities later trapped a 9-foot-8-inch alligator from the area, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The frightening encounter comes amid several alligator attacks reported in Florida this summer. The FWC says alligators can be found in all 67 Florida counties and advises people to keep their distance from the animals and never feed them.
Officials also recommend swimming only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours and keeping pets away from the water. For Head, however, there was little time to think about those dangers once he realized someone was in trouble. Instead of paddling away from the commotion, he headed directly toward it and helped get the injured swimmer to safety.
