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A 15-year-old girl named Summer Hinote survived a terrifying encounter with a 10-foot alligator in Pond Creek, Florida. The Walton County Sheriff's Office reported that the alligator bit her leg and dragged her underwater. Hinote fought back fiercely, punching the alligator in the head to make it release her. "I just started punching it in the head as hard as I could," she told WOFL.
The alligator let go but grabbed her again, pulling her under the water and shaking her violently.
Despite the attack, Hinote managed to break free with the help of a friend. She sustained severe injuries to her leg, but doctors confirmed that her leg did not need to be amputated. The incident occurred about 25 miles from Destin, Florida.
Hinote's bravery and quick thinking were crucial in her survival.
WSVN reported that officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have since trapped three alligators at Pond Creek, but none of them were large enough to attack Summer.