New details are emerging about an alligator attack that occurred in a Florida river last month.
In their initial news release, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) said that on July 23, a 27-year-old woman was attacked while out boating with her husband on the South Fork portion of the Saint Lucie River.
A representative for the sheriff’s office said the alligator “bit the hand and wrist of the female and momentarily pulled her under” before ultimately releasing her.
Now, in a newly released incident report, police say that the woman, identified as Amber Perren of Palm City, was wading in the water with their dog at the time of the attack.
According to her husband, identified as Kelby Galen Perren, she was then “violently taken under the water, and when he pulled her up, the alligator was still attached to her arm.”
He described the alligator’s head as being about 2 feet in length and said that the gator was about 8 feet long.
After the attack, her husband brought her by boat to the Palm City Boat Ramp, where medical help was waiting for them. Her injuries included “lacerations and a possible compound fracture” and she was stabilized before being transported to the hospital.
The MCSO previously said the woman was flown to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce for treatment.
Authorities believe the attack may have been triggered due to nesting season, according to CBS affiliate WPEC and NBC affiliate WPTV. The season peaks in July, and alligators can experience heightened aggression at that time.
The investigation was eventually taken over by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. According to WPTV, the agency previously said the alligator involved in the attack had been located by a trapper.
This article by Abigail Adams was first published by People on 23 August 2025. Lead Image: An alligator was still clinging to a woman’s arm when her husband pulled her from the water during an attack on July 23. Credit : Getty Images.
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