A nearby adult grabbed Juliana and took her to the safety of the shore.

She was shaken

but had survived an attack by one of natures deadliest creatures.

In the wake of the ordeal, Juliana said, If you want to save your life you have to stay
calm. She then added, I think the alligator thought I was like this enormous piece of
chicken.

Juliana had been bitten at least seven times. There were several puncture wounds to the
back of her knee and she needed 14 stitches.

Paramedic Kevin Brito said, She was a tough little girl. She said that if something is
going to attack her, she has to attack back.

Much to the dismay of Juliana, the alligator has since been captured and killed. The
brave little girl has no hatred towards the predator who attacked her. Instead, she
described it as a misunderstood creature.

Juliana said, I still feel they have a cute inside because theyre misunderstood animals.
It is now in heaven and its an alligator angel.

For a ten-year-old girl to fight off an alligator is rare enough. Her refusal to give in to
blind fear and bitter hatred is rarer still. Rather than condemn the alligator as a mindless
monster, Juliana chose compassion for a wild creature governed solely by its instinct.