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Dr. Amber Perren, an optometrist in Stuart, Florida, suffered a horrible alligator attack earlier this Summer in Martin County. She is now opening up about surviving the attack where her hand was “just hanging” after the alligator latched onto her.
When the alligator attack occurred earlier this Summer here in Florida, it was initially reported that the gator was 11ft long. I even reported that here on BroBible. But in a recent interview with the local news, it appears to have been an 8ft male alligator and not an 11-footer.
Florida Alligator Attack Survivor Opens Up
Running her own optometry clinic, Dr. Amber Perren’s hands are crucial. She told WPTFV News her “whole thumb is numb” now after the attack. Adding that she also has numbness in part of her wrist. Months later, she can wiggle the fingers on the hand.
The attack occurred on the St. Lucie River in Martin County. Dr. Perren says when “she saw the gator’s head, eye to eye, my mind was ‘get away.'” Once the alligator attacked, she said she was “just punching his head, was trying to run.”
Her husband should be considered a hero. He did what any good husband would do in that situation and immediately entered the water to save his wife during the alligator attack. He says he ran in and grabbed his wife, “pulled her back and the gator pulled her.” It was a game of tug-of-war with potentially lethal consequences.
Once she broke free from the alligator they rushed to a dock and called for safety. The alligator attack broke both bones in her forearm and severed her radial artery, she was immediately airlifted to a nearby trauma unit.
The husband sums it up perfectly with “you could tell is was really bad right away.” The segment recently ran on WPTV News, here’s the clip but they make you sit through an un-skippable ad so just be ready for that:
Once she survived the attack and underwent 5 surgeries it wasn’t as if she was completely free and clear. The Aeromonas hydrophila bacteria is commonly found in alligator teeth and can cause infections after alligator attacks. So victims are often treated and monitored after an incident, according to this study published in the National Library of Medicine.
And as she said at the onset, Dr. Perren is still suffering from numbness throughout her hand.
How Common Are Attacks In Florida?
I’m a born-and-raised Floridian and feel as if I can speak to the rarity of alligator attacks here in my home state but that’s entirely anecdotal so let’s look at the stats.
There are an estimated 1.3 million alligators here in Florida according to the FWC. Each year, there are 7-8 unprovoked alligator attacks in Florida as was reported by FoxNews.
The most recent census found there to be 23.37 million residents in Florida and that doesn’t included 143 million tourists that visited Florida last year.
So with 143 million tourists, 23.4M residents, we are looking at 166.4 million people, 1.3 million alligators, and just 7-8 unprovoked alligator attacks in Florida each year. Suffice it to say that attacks are extremely rare in the Sunshine State, especially when safety and caution is observed.
In this East Florida alligator attack on Dr. Amber Perren, it was a freak occurrence. But it is always advisable to be vigilant whenever you are in/on/near the water. Always proceed as if there are alligators in the area even if you cannot see them because that is the best way to keep yourself safe.
For more on this, the FWC has an abundance of information on how to live safely side-by-side with alligators here in Florida: