A ten-year-old girl escaped from the jaws of an alligator by prising its mouth open after it attacked her at a park in Florida.
The girl was paddling close to her family in a lake - which had been designated safe for swimmers - when the 8ft 9ins reptile grabbed her by the knee.
She was able to force the alligator’s jaws open and escape but was left with puncture wounds to her knee and thigh.
Chad Weber, a spokesman for Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), told the Orlando Sentinel that the girl’s injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
The attack took place at Mary Jane Lake, in Orlando, at about 3pm on Saturday.
The girl was given urgent treatment by life-guards before being taken to hospital.
She has since been released.
The alligator has been captured and removed from the lake and the park is closed to the public whilst officials investigate what happened.
