A 15-year-old girl was floating on a raft in a creek in the Ocala National Forest, when a large alligator quickly approached her. The fast-thinking girl grabbed a tree branch overhanging the water, pulling herself to temporary safety.
But the alligator would not leave — it just hissed at the girl menacingly for more than 30 minutes, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The girl’s mother frantically called 911, telling the call taker “My daughter’s stuck in a frickin’ tree and there’s gators surrounding her!”
Deputy Mitch Blackmon arrived on the scene, but the alligator continued to stand its ground.
“My presence failed to scare the alligator away, and it began encroaching on my area at which time I fired one single .223 round from my Bushmaster AR15 killing the alligator,” Blackmon wrote in his report.
The alligator was confirmed dead.