Florida Teen Survives Alligator Attack by 'Punching It in the Head'

A Florida teen was able to survive an alligator attack by "punching" the creature in the head while it had its jaw wrapped around her leg.

Summer Hinote, 15, was swimming with friends on June 22 in Pond Creek in Okaloosa County when an alligator swam up and grabbed her by the leg before pulling her underwater, CBS Miami reported.

"I didn't know what it was at first, so I just turned my body around and started punching it in the head. It let go and then it grabbed again and then dragged me under the water and shook me around," she told the outlet.

After the teen was able to get away from the alligator, her friends helped her run up away from the creek, but not before the gator tried to go after her again.

Hinote told CBS Miami that her friend told her, "You're fine, you're fine, it's not that bad but you have to get up. He's coming up from behind you."

Once the teens reached higher ground, they called Hinote's mother who picked them up and drove them to meet first responders that were on the way to rush her to the hospital.

Officials with the Walton County Sheriff's Office believe that the alligator was about 10 feet long, as reported by Fox 35. The bites resulted in severe cuts, but Hinote was able to keep her leg.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, alligator nesting season typically takes place from late June to early July, and then it takes about another two months for the eggs to hatch. Although male alligators also keep a watchful eye on the nests, female alligators are known to get aggressive if they perceive any threats to nearby nests.

Originally published on Latin Times