LONGWOOD, Fla. – The person who called 911 to report a gator attack in the Wekiva River recounted the incident, describing how he saw the alligator wrestling with the victim.
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Jakob Frick told Local 6 on Tuesday that he and a few other friends were just wrapping up a canoeing trip on the Wekiva River Saturday afternoon. Frick said they had just passed Wekiva Island and were in a more remote area up river when they noticed a woman swimming.
Frick said his friend pointed out the no swimming signs and mentioned to the woman there were alligators in the area, but she kept swimming.
Moments later, he was on the phone with 911, calling for help after seeing that woman get attacked by an alligator.
"There's a lady that just got attacked by an alligator and it bit off her arm," Frick can be heard telling the 911 operator.
He told Local 6 he's still trying to comprehend what he witnessed.
"You saw this woman, one minute swimming perfectly with both arms, a fit woman, and then all of the sudden she's flailing around with one arm," Frick told Local 6.
Frick said he saw the entire thing happen.
"I saw the gator take off from the embankment, go to her, eat her arm off, pull her underwater, they were wrestling for like five minutes," Frick said.
Another couple kayaking nearby also rushed to help. The man hit the gator with his paddle while he and his girlfriend struggled to pull Rachael Lilienthal, 37, out of the water.
"When I came up and just see her hanging, she's trying to grab on with both arms but only one arm is there and the other is just kind of (hanging). There was blood gushing out of it," said Frick.
Frick then pulled out his cellphone and called for help.
Frick said paramedics were there within 30 seconds and once they got to the dock at Wekiva Island, first responders made everyone leave the area.
Frick said he has only learned that Lilienthal will recover through media reports. He said he's looking forward to being able to meet Lilienthal when she gets out of the hospital.
Meanwhile, Seminole County Sheriff's Office released a photo of the gator in the attack on Tuesday afternoon.
In the photo, the gator is holding what appears to be a blue bathing suit.
The gator was tracked down and euthanized.