A Florida deputy was able to rescue a teenage girl who had been cornered in a tree by a large alligator by shooting it with an AR-15 rifle.
Jordan Broderick, 15, was stuck in a tree in Lake County for nearly an hour on Friday afternoon because a 10-foot alligator sat on the ground below, hissing at her, the Sun-Sentinel reported, citing a sheriff's office report.
ALLIGATOR GOES FOR A SWIM AT FLORIDA BEACH
"My daughter's stuck in a frickin' tree and there's gators surrounding her!" Broderick's mother reportedly told a 911 dispatcher. "Oh my God! Please hurry! Please hurry!"
Deputy Mitch Blackmon responded to the scene, where he found the teen — who had been swimming in a creek in Ocala National Forest — yelling that she was tired from hanging onto a tree branch for so long.
Texas cops wrangle alligator in Walmart parking lot
Raw video: Aransas Pass Police Department officers control 8-foot reptile that tried to sneak out of a pond and wander through parking lot.
Blackmon wrote in his report that his "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."
The alligator reportedly sank into the water and didn't resurface. Authorities said a county marine biologist confirmed the alligator was dead.
Sgt. Fred Jones told the news outlet that July is a dangerous time to be near alligators as they become "more aggressive and territorial" as their mating season comes to a close.
True Crime
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
