Horror as woman dies on hike with her boyfriend after alligator ripped BOTH of her arms off
A 31-year-old woman died after an alligator ripped off both of her arms while she was walking with her boyfriend and best friend in central Florida.
The terrifying attack unfolded when the trio dived into the shallows of the Econlockhatchee River in the Little Big Econ State Forest, located about 20 miles northeast of Orlando.
While the hikers were entering the water to cool off around 13.30, the crocodile attacked the woman, whose identity has not been disclosed yet.
Screams and cries could be heard in the harrowing audio of her boyfriend’s 911 call to emergency services as the predator ripped off her limbs.
While making the call, he was heard telling dispatchers that he was “still trying to get his arms away from the crocodile’s mouth.”
A few minutes later he told the operator that ‘both his arms were covered’, while his friend said one of the limbs was ‘hanging by a rope’.
When the officer asked where the other arm was, the woman replied: ‘It’s gone.’
While the victim’s boyfriend described the situation as ‘bad, really bad’, he warned the responders ‘please hurry… he’s losing a lot…’ and then continued his speech.
A 31-year-old woman died after an alligator ripped off both of her arms while she was hiking with her boyfriend and best friend in central Florida (stock)
The terrifying attack unfolded when the trio dived into the shallow waters of the Econlockhatchee River (above) in the Little Big Econ State Forest, 20 miles northeast of Orlando (stock)
The boyfriend told the operator the crocodile was finally ‘gone’ before describing his girlfriend’s injuries as ‘horrible’.
The person, who said he stepped in to help, dragged his girlfriend out of the water with the help of his friend.
‘We’re off the road, outside a small take-off area by the river… We need help now!’ he told the operator.
‘You may see a helicopter. The operator responded, “If you see it, try flagging it if possible.”
The victim, who was from Orlando, was taken to the hospital but died en route.
He was resting near the Barr Street Trailhead, a popular hiking route that is now closed until further notice.
Authorities later scanned the scene and found two alligators, one 12 ft long and the other 13 ft long.
The animals were DNA tested to determine which one attacked the hiker.
He was hiking near the Barr Street Trailhead, a popular hiking route near Orlando.
This marks the third alligator attack in central Florida in the past week.
An incident was reported at Rainbow River in Merriam County seven days ago, and a child was injured in another incident in the same county on Saturday.
Attacks on humans are rare in the U.S., according to the Florida Wildlife Commission, but alligators are more territorial during mating season, which runs from April to late June.
