A Florida teen was swimming when a 10-foot alligator attacked her. Fortunately, she managed to survive the reptile attack by fighting back against the gator.
15-year-old Summer Hinote was swimming when the alligator bit her leg and latched on. The reptile dragged her underwater. It began its death rattle trying to kill the teen. But that's when Summer fought back and saved her life.
"I just started punching it in the head as hard as I could. He had let go and then grabbed me again," Hinote said. "And the second time that he let go and grabbed me, he had drug me underneath the water. And he like shook my leg around."
The incident happened back in June, but Summer is just now speaking out about her brush with death. She said the reptile eventually let go. "Whenever he let go, I had started running up. And I had gotten up out of the water," she said.
Alligator Attack
According to the teen, a friend warned her that the reptile was returning. "He said 'You're fine, you're fine, it's not that bad but you have to get up. He's coming up from behind you'," she recounted.
She had asked him if the alligator had amputated her leg, but despite injuries, it was still attached.
It's just the latest alligator attack in the state.
"Florida has seen tremendous population growth in recent years, with many people living or recreating near water," Matthew Nichols, FWC alligator management program coordinator, said of the partnership. "Because alligators can be found in nearly any water in Florida, it's safest to always assume they're present. GatorWise provides consistent, science-based information from across the Southeast to help people safely share the landscape with these important animals."
There were 11 bites in 2024 compared to 23 in 2023. GatorWise hopes increased awareness will lead to fewer attacks in the state.
"Alligators are native to many wetlands of the southeastern United States, making them critical to the health and balance of these ecosystems," the site says. "Minimizing conflicts with people while maintaining necessary protections from overharvest is crucial to keeping alligator populations stable within their range."
"To do that we must Educate people about alligators, while increasing Respect for these animals and their natural behaviors, which will allow for alligators and humans to Coexist."
