- A 12-year-old girl was injured by a more than 12-foot-long alligator at a lake in North Carolina on Friday, June 13
- Other children were also in the body of water, but are “all fine”
- “She had a few stitches and, other than that, she’s doing great,” authorities say
A 12-year-old girl was injured by an alligator at a lake in North Carolina, the first of such an incident in the area’s history, authorities said.
On Friday, June 13, multiple kids were playing in Lake Waccamaw, a large, freshwater lake, when a child screamed, “Something bit me!” As the children rushed out of the water, which was four feet deep, an alligator emerged from the same spot, the Lake Waccamaw Police Department said in a statement.
“The injuries sustained were serious, but not life-threatening in any way,” said police of the child’s injury. “It is also unclear as to if the injuries were caused by a bite or a claw. But they were definitely caused by the alligator.”
After the attack, the animal was “neutralized,” according to authorities. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) confirmed that the move is standard procedure when a human encounters an alligator, according to NBC affiliate WECT.
Fortunately, the hurt child will recover.
“She had a few stitches and, other than that, she’s doing great,” Scott Hyatt, Chief of Police of the Lake Waccamaw Police Department, tells PEOPLE. He confirms that the victim is a 12-year-old girl and that the rest of the children are “all fine.”
While the initial statement described the alligator as six to seven feet long, Hyatt says the alligator was actually over 12 feet in length once officials had a chance to measure it. “It’s a monster,” he says of the size.
The alligator attack is the first ever to happen in Lake Waccamaw’s history, Hyatt adds. The lake has approximately 570 alligators.
Alicia Wassmer, an alligator biologist with the NCWRC, confirmed to WECT that the young girl didn’t do anything wrong. It was the alligator that was behaving strangely.
They very rarely get in the lake, especially during the daytime,” Wassmer told the outlet. It’s not usual for an unprovoked alligator to attack.
“In that incident, that behavior that was displayed is very much associated with alligators that have been fed,” she told WECT.
On its website, NCWRC says that purposefully feeding alligators, which are native to the region, is “illegal in most states, and dangerous.” By feeding alligators, either accidentally or intentionally, the animals may begin to relate humans to food.
The police department also provided guidance for those who want to enjoy the water safely. “Please respect the water and understand these animals are not tame or pets,” they said. “If you see one, maintain a safe distance at all times. And exit the water if you are in it.”
