Based on the calendar, it’s still summer, and the warmer weather is definitely lingering in many parts of the country. So understandably, people are still attempting to cool off by swimming.
But swimming in lakes can come with its own unique set of risks. The currents can be strong. The waters are deep and cold — and then there’s the wildlife.
A group of swimmers, including members of a Girl Scout troop at Raven Lake in Huntsville State Park in Texas, recently had a close encounter with an alligator that could have ended tragically.
A video captured the terrifying moment.
Cellphone video shows a large gator making its way toward a group of Girls Scouts. Thankfully, their parents and other adults were nearby, and ran toward the children to help. In the middle of all of the commotion, another kid jumped in the water. The alligator immediately began moving in her direction.
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The alligator was pretty large.
“The gator was definitely aiming for her,” said David Siljeg, the man who recorded the video. “It was like a movie scene, but real.”
Unlike the movies, all of the children were pulled from the water and to safety. The people who were near the shore that day believe the alligator was approximately 10 to 14 feet long.
The alligator got caught in a rope, slowing him down.
Noel Garcia was one of the people who went to help retrieve the children from the water. “He was definitely sneaking,” he told Fox 26, “There’s no doubt.” Garcia explained that as the alligator approached the swimmers, there was a moment when he got entangled in a rope.
Garcia believes the holdup may have saved the children’s lives. “It wasn’t the best feeling,” he said. “Luckily, the rope was there to distract him.”
This is not the first time, an alligator has gotten too close for comfort.
Signs around the park warn visitors about the alligators. Earlier this summer, another alligator visited a swimming spot, forcing the swimmers to need rescuing from a dock. Alligators typically prey on large animals, like hogs and deer. And while alligators roam many areas in Houston, you should not feed them. Instead, people should report alligator encounters.
As traumatizing as these events can be, we’re sure people will be willing to tell. “I’ve watched Jaws multiple times, [this] kind of triggered those feelings,” said Siljeg.
