Woman Severely Injured in Alligator Attack While Kayaking in Florida’s Tiger Creek Canal

A 64-year-old woman nearly lost her arm after an alligator attacked a group of 20 kayakers

A kayaking trip turned into a nightmare for a group of 20 paddlers when a large alligator attacked a woman and lunged at another kayaker in Tiger Creek Canal, Polk County, Florida, on March 3. The area is located about 60 miles from Tampa and is known for its rich wildlife.

Christiane Salvador, 64, visiting from Texas with her husband, was among the kayakers navigating the canal when her kayak suddenly overturned. Moments earlier, she had felt a strange bump on her paddle before it snapped in two. Witnesses said she began shouting, “There’s an alligator on my arm,” as she struggled in the water.

Her husband, Phillip Salvador, rushed to help, attempting to pull her onto his kayak. However, her right arm remained submerged. He then witnessed the horrifying sight of an alligator’s snout emerging from the water with her elbow locked in its jaws.

Another kayaker, David Morse, who was around 40 yards away, paddled over to assist. As he tried to stabilize Christiane’s kayak, the gator turned its attention on him. It latched onto the front of his life vest and dragged him underwater. Morse fought back by gouging the alligator’s eyes with his fingers. He managed to unbuckle the vest, which the alligator swam away with still in its mouth.

Christiane was pulled to shore by her husband and received immediate first aid before being airlifted to Osceola Regional Hospital with severe injuries to her upper right forearm. She also sustained two deep puncture wounds below her elbow. While doctors confirmed her arm would not need to be amputated, she is expected to undergo multiple reconstructive surgeries and require months of outpatient care and physical therapy to regain full function.

The gator was later trapped and killed by licensed nuisance trappers

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Polk County Fire Rescue, and an airboat team from Lake Kissimmee State Park responded to the emergency. An Aero Med helicopter was deployed to locate the victim and deliver medics directly to the rescue boat.

Wildlife officials identified the alligator as a female measuring 8 feet, 3 inches. It was later captured and euthanized by licensed nuisance trappers. Experts believe the gator’s behavior was likely linked to heightened aggression due to nesting or mating season.

“There’s no evidence anyone was feeding or provoking the alligator,” wildlife officials stated in their report.

Reptile specialist Kim Titterington commented on the incident, calling it “a scene out of a horror movie” and highlighting the extreme defensiveness of female alligators during nesting periods. “They have to protect their babies from other male gators,” she said, emphasizing that such attacks can be instinctive and territorial.

Wildlife authorities noted that alligator mating season begins in April, with aggression typically peaking through May and June.