PALM CITY, Fla. — A local doctor's face-to-face encounter with an 8-foot alligator this summer, followed by her fight for survival and ultimate recovery, can only be described as a miracle.
WPTV reporter Ange Toussaint recently sat down with Dr. Amber Perren of Palm City and her husband, Kelby, in an exclusive interview about what happened on the evening of July 23.
WATCH THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BELOW:
Perren, 27, and Kelby said they had taken their dog, Poncho, for a boat ride on the St. Lucie River, never imagining what lurked in the dark waters below.
Moments after stepping into the water, an alligator emerged and clamped onto Perren's right arm. "I was sitting in about two-feet of water next to the boat. Perren said. "I leaned back to wet my hair in the two-feet of water, and as I came up from wetting my hair, that's when the gator got me," Perren added.
Perren described coming face-to-face with the gator and her fight for survival.
"I saw the gator's head, eye to eye," Perren said. "My mind was to get away, get away. I was just punching his head, and I was trying to run," she said.
WATCH: Dr. Amber Perren shares what helped her survive gator attack
Kelby, who heard the screams, jumped into the water to help his wife in what became a tug-of-war between the couple and the alligator.
"I pulled her back, the gator pulled back, and I pulled her again, and she came loose," Kelby said.
He rushed his wife to the boat and sped to a nearby dock where first responders were waiting.
Perren was taken to the trauma center at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce with multiple lacerations and fractures.
"The gator got my arm. It broke both bones in my forearm and severed the radial artery," Perren said. "My hand was just hanging."
WATCH: WPTV asks Dr. Amber Perren about the next steps in her recovery journey
As a result of the attack, Perren has undergone five surgeries and multiple skin grafts and suffered from compartment syndrome due to increased pressure in her arm. Despite her injuries, she returned to work at Amber Eyes Optical — her newly opened eye clinic near Stuart — within weeks.
"I'm not one to sit still, so I immediately have been up trying to walk and move around," Perren said. "I'm super athletic, so I think that helps with the recovery."
She is adjusting to working with her left hand, running her business and being a wife.
Through it all, Perren credits her family, her community and her husband for keeping her spirits alive.
"I keep saying he's my hero, and he saved me," Perren said.
She still faces a long road of recovery with more doctor visits and occupational therapy as she works to regain use of her right arm. Still, she said the attack won't stop her from enjoying the water or her life.
"If this showed us anything, it showed us how quickly your life can change in a matter of seconds, so you should go have fun," Perren said.
Her resilience continues to inspire those around her.
"She's been optimistic through this whole thing. She's an impressive woman, and I'm lucky to be her husband," Kelby said.
As for the alligator, it was later captured. Perren said she plans to hang its skull in her office.
