The son of a Florida grandmother, who recently went through a horrific alligator attack, believes that these reptiles are becoming bolder around people. He thinks that tourists and TikTok influencers, who feed and pet alligators near rivers, are to blame.
Zach Gerina’s mother, 58-year-old Dina Spann, was swimming in the Silver River in Marion County on Saturday when she was attacked. Gerina noted that he has swum there “hundreds of times” without ever seeing an alligator, which is a bit strange given how often he’s been in the water.
“Growing up in Florida, I’ve never seen something like this happen. I spend so much time in the water, but I’ve always kept my distance from alligators,” the 38-year-old mentioned.
“We have tons of tourists and people who have just moved here; many haven’t even encountered an alligator before.” He described how there are videos of people casually petting alligators, which he believes contributes to these animals losing their natural fear of humans. “If an alligator gets close enough, well, it’s not going to think twice before biting,” he cautioned.
Spann’s right arm was left severely injured, ultimately requiring amputation below the elbow, and she lost some fingers on her left hand as well. Gerina expressed concern that such incidents might happen again. “It’s practically inevitable. If people keep feeding them, they’re bound to come closer,” he said.
During the day trip with his mother, Gerina was not present for the attack but noted seeing a TikTok video showing tourists getting too friendly with alligators in kayaks. He recounted that he enjoyed this waterway since childhood, claiming that his family had floated there numerous times without any issues.
Sadly, this incident followed another tragic event where a construction worker, Brittany Clark, was killed in late June by a massive 13-foot alligator while swimming in the Econlockhatchee River. Additionally, a boy recently lost a hand after being bitten by an alligator during a fishing trip in Marion County, while another child faced a similar scare just days before.
Gerina, who works as a carpenter, is convinced that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission should definitely consider issuing more alligator hunting permits. “There are simply too many alligators in this area. We’ve had three bites in just a few weeks—one child lost a hand, a woman died, and now this,” he stated. He doesn’t advocate for eliminating alligators completely but suggested relocating them. “If they have to be placed anywhere, it should be in a swamp,” he added. “If you’re swimming in spring water, you shouldn’t have to worry about alligators.”
After the incident, trappers captured and removed a 9-foot-8-inch alligator from the Silver River, which has since reopened for public access.
Describing his mother, Gerina called her a “hippie soul” who had a passion for animals and travel, mentioning that she had just returned from Africa when the attack took place. He had previously shared that despite the serious injury, she remained in good spirits throughout the ordeal, seeming remarkably composed.
