HOUSTON, Texas – A Girl Scout troop’s trip to a Southeast Texas lake over the weekend turned into a terrifying encounter when they spotted an alligator swimming toward them.
A video shared with KPRC, KSAT’s sister station in Houston, shows the alligator, estimated to be 14 feet long, heading toward Troop 114204 at Huntsville State Park on Saturday evening.
Girl Scouts and the troop’s leader Nichole Glenn told KPRC about the ordeal, saying they expected the worst.
“I was thinking, this is the day I die,” Girl Scout Ava Miller said. “It was moving faster than us or about the same.”
The troop was at Huntsville State Park — located in Huntsville, about an hour north of Houston — for an overnight camping trip and Girl Scouts to learn about the park and fishing.
When they went for a dip in a designated swimming area, people noticed the alligator swimming toward the children.
The video showed chaos erupting as the girls made their way to the bank. Scout Erin White said she was on a dock off-shore and had jumped off, thinking her friends had left her.
She said she didn’t see the alligator until Glenn stepped in and put herself between the animal and her troop.
“I always say that I love them to death. I always say I would do anything for them. Now, I definitely know I would do anything for them,” Glenn said.
No one was injured. Glenn said it took a couple of hours for them to process what actually happened.
Scouts told KPRC they are using the experience as a lesson to remain vigilant.
“I was close enough to get hurt and I didn’t even know it was there. So I should probably focus on my surroundings more,” Erin said.
While swimming is allowed in designated areas, alligators do live in the park.
A Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spokesperson told KPRC there are multiple signs to remind visitors about alligators in the area, and they are discussing adding more signage.
Alligators normally avoid humans and attacks on humans are rare, but TPWD said several nuisance alligators have been removed from the park in the past.
Read also: