A woman has miraculously survived a brutal alligator attack.

The unnamed 27-year-old was swimming with her dog in Saint Lucie River in Florida as her boyfriend watched from their boat on Wednesday when the terrifying incident unfolded.

The alligator bit her hand and wrist, suddenly dragging her below the surface.

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Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted to Facebook that the alligator eventually released the woman and her boyfriend was able to help her pull of the water and drive her back in to the boat ramp at Charlie Leighton Park.

She was treated at the scene for serious injuries at 7.51pm before being flown to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce as a precaution. Her boyfriend and dog were not injured.

The Martin County statement said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had responded to the attack and are “awaiting their trapper to locate the alligator”.

Florida is known for its alligators, having an approximately 1.3 million of them.

On average there are eight unprovoked alligator attacks in the state each year, according to FWC.

This latest incident comes after a young boy died in front of his family when he fell into a waterway and was brutally attacked by crocodiles.

Andres Alejandro Santana Hernandez, 14, was walking with his family by the waterway in Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, when tragedy struck on July 18.

Before his parents could intervene, crocodiles hidden by the swamp waters launched at him and dragged him beneath the surface.

Andres’ family watched in horror as the crocodiles pulled the boy further from the water’s edge and began tearing into his body.

The Mirror reported that it is believed the boy was attacked by a group of Morelet’s crocodiles, also known as the Mexican or Belize crocodile, which can grow up to three metres long and typically weigh a staggering 200kg.

The species is known for being particularly vicious, and once they reach maturity, they will prey on nearly any animal that enters their territory.

Police divers have begun to search the canal for the boy’s remains, but it is unclear if they have managed to recover his body.