A Florida teenager was enjoying a day on the water when an unexpected deadly visitor approached.
© PixabayA Florida teenager was enjoying a day on the water when an unexpected deadly visitor approached.
What started as a lazy afternoon on the water ended up being a terrifying experience for a 15-year-old girl who found herself hanging from a tree branch, trapped by an angry gator.

"I'm at Freak Creek. My daughter is stuck in a freaking tree and there are gators surrounding her and we can't get her out. Please, she's fifteen," her mother said in a frantic 911 call.

It happened Friday near Alexander Springs Creek in the Ocala National Forest.

According to deputies, the teenager was floating on her raft when a gator swam up to her. It started hissing and chased her to a tree.

"There was a low-hanging tree. She was able to climb up into the tree and get out of the water and stay high enough to where the gator couldn't get her," Sgt. Mark Fulmer explained.


By the time the deputy was able to get to the remote area, the girl had been clinging for dear life for 30 minutes.

She was exhausted and screaming her lungs out.

According to the deputy, the gator had no fear of people. It started to move towards him so the deputy shot the gator in the head and it disappeared under the water.

"Right now, they're very territorial. They are ending mating season so if you come up on a nest, gators are very territorial of their young," Farmer said.

Experts say before you go swimming, look around. Check for gators, especially on the shoreline where they often lay eggs.

In Florida, if you're hanging out in a body of water, chances are you're hanging out with alligators.