A Florida vacation turned into a nightmare when an 8-foot alligator nearly tore a woman’s arm off

What should have been a relaxing day on the water became a terrifying ordeal that left one woman fighting to save her arm.

The heroic actions of a fellow kayaker who stuck his fingers in the beast’s eyes saved multiple lives that day.

And a Florida vacation turned into a nightmare when an 8-foot alligator nearly tore a woman’s arm off.

The Attack That Shocked Florida

Christiane Salvador, 64, and her husband Phillip were kayaking with 18 other people on Tiger Creek in Polk County this past March.

Everything seemed normal until Christiane felt something bump her paddle on the water.

According to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report, that “something” was an 8-foot female alligator that snapped her paddle in two.

The report says Christiane’s kayak tipped over, and witnesses saw her “struggling to keep her head above water” before she screamed, “There’s an alligator on my arm.”

Phillip Salvador pulled his wife on top of his kayak, but according to the report, one of her arms wouldn’t come out of the water because the alligator had “Christiane’s elbow in its mouth.”

Hero Kayaker Battles Beast to Save Lives

David Morse was about 40 yards away when he heard Christiane’s kayak flip over.

Morse saw Christiane Salvador’s torso over the top of her husband’s kayak but could tell something was trying to drag her back into the water.

The alligator eventually released Christiane Salvador, and her husband pulled her to shore and immediately started first aid.

Morse said he didn’t see the alligator until he tried to flip over Christiane Salvador’s kayak.

That’s when the alligator attacked him, grabbing the front of his life vest and pulling him underwater.

To get away, Morse stuck his fingers “deep into the gator’s eyes.”

Once he got his footing, he undid the buckles on his life vest, and the alligator fled with the vest still in its mouth.

Devastating Injuries and Long Road to Recovery

Officials said Christiane Salvador sustained serious wounds to her upper right arm and suffered puncture injuries near her elbow.

At the time of the attack, it was unclear if her arm could be saved, but it was later determined it would not need to be amputated.

The 64-year-old will require several reconstructive surgeries, outpatient care and physical therapy to regain functionality of her arm and hand.

Trappers with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation later tracked down and killed the alligator.

Mating Season Makes Alligators More Dangerous

Kim Titterington, a reptile expert, says the timing explains why this alligator was so aggressive.

“If you walked out back and you’re sitting in your lawn chair and all of a sudden a parade of 20 people just walk through your backyard, you are going to feel like you need to defend your space,” Titterington explained.

The attack happened during prime mating and nesting season for alligators, when females become extremely protective of their territory and young.

According to Titterington, female alligators become highly protective during nesting season.

“When a female has her babies, they are very defensive,” she said.

Mating season for alligators starts in early April and runs through June.

That’s when these reptiles get territorial and dangerous around people.

A Deadly Pattern in Florida Waters

Tiger Creek has seen multiple alligator attacks on kayakers and canoers.

Just weeks after Christiane’s attack, another woman was killed by an alligator in the same area while canoeing.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, she was canoeing in two-and-a-half feet of water when she went over a large alligator, causing it to thrash and capsize the vessel.

The woman landed on the alligator, got bitten, and died from her wounds.

Rare but Deadly Encounters

Frank Robb, an alligator expert, says these kinds of attacks don’t happen often.

“Alligators, crocodilians in general that we have in Florida, are very afraid of people,” Robb explained. “They don’t want anything to do with you.”

“Alligators, crocodilians in general that we have in Florida, are very afraid of people,” Robb explained. “They don’t want anything to do with you.”

Research conducted by the University of Florida and Centre College in Kentucky shows that most alligator attacks result from people engaging in risky behavior rather than the animals acting overly aggressive.

According to Robb, what happened to the Salvadors was a freak accident.

“This is a one-off,” he said. “This is not something that you have to worry about.”

The Salvadors learned the hard way that Florida’s waters can be dangerous, even on what seems like a routine kayak trip.

Christiane Salvador is alive today because her husband acted fast and David Morse risked his own life to help.

She’s got a long recovery ahead, but she survived a day that could have easily ended much worse.