A Florida optometrist, Amber Peren, witnessed her husband struggling to free her from an alligator’s grasp during a terrifying incident this past summer.
The 27-year-old plans to display the gator skull in her office after enduring multiple surgeries due to a vicious attack in Marion County that left her hands severely injured.
While out on the St. Lucie River with her husband, Kelby, and their dog, Poncho, Peren was unexpectedly grabbed by an alligator, pulling her underwater.
“I remember seeing the gator’s eyes right before it pulled me under,” she recalled about the July 23rd attack. “My instinct was to run away. I started punching its head and trying to get away.”
Hearing her screams, Kelby jumped into the water to rescue her. However, the alligator was still latched onto her right arm, resulting in a fierce struggle.
Kelby described the scene, saying, “I pulled her back while the gator was pulling her, but then she relaxed for a moment.”
He noted that the gator had a head about two feet long and a body measuring around eight feet.
After managing to free her, Kelby transported her to a nearby dock where first responders attended to her injuries before she was airlifted to the Fort Pierce Trauma Center.
Peren detailed the extent of her injuries, explaining that the gator had broken both bones in her forearm and severed the radial artery. “My hands were just hanging there,” she stated, recalling how Kelby kept calling himself her hero for saving her.
Living in Palm City, Peren has undergone five surgeries and now deals with skin grafts and complications from compartment syndrome due to increased pressure in her arm.
While she can move her fingers, her hands are still nearly paralyzed, and she may require further surgery.
Peren, determined not to let the attack deter her, intends to continue managing a new eye clinic using only her left hand during her recovery. “This experience has taught us how quickly life can change,” she said. “So, enjoy your time.”
