A sunny September day in Huntsville State Park took a frightening turn for a group of Girl Scouts.

Troop 114204 had gone to Lake Raven, located just north of Houston, for a camping trip but ended up having a close encounter with a massive alligator. Video footage taken by David Siljeg shows the up to 14-foot creature creeping in on the group of girls swimming and troop leader Nichole Glenn moving swiftly to put herself between them.

“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 told KPRC 2.

Thanks to the collective efforts of onlookers who splashed water and caused a commotion, the alligator was deterred from stalking the girls, and no one was injured.

Still, Karen, as the girls later named her, loitered in the vicinity for over an hour, prompting an intervention by wildlife officials. The park closed the swimming area for the day to ensure everyone’s safety.

The close call was a terrifying but potentially eye-opening experience for the group.

“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,” explained scout Erin White, who had unknowingly jumped into the water during the chaos and put herself in a risky situation, according to KPRC 2.

Others had been quicker to clock the gator.

“I was thinking, ‘This is the day I die,'” scout Ava Miller told KPRC 2.

Alligators might become vocal and hiss when they feel threatened, but they typically leave humans alone. At the same time, although alligator attacks are rare, they are not unheard of. Sightings of such creatures are growing rather common at Huntsville State Park, where a similar encounter occurred on Memorial Day weekend.

As covered by The Dallas Express, as many as two alligators were spotted lurking around the swimming section of the lake. Video footage captured that day showed a group of swimmers stuck on a nearby platform in the middle of the lake.

Park officials eventually came out on a boat to rescue the trapped swimmers.

In response to the recent episode, a spokesperson for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) reported that several nuisance alligators had already been removed, according to KPRC 2.

Nuisance alligators are almost always created by visitors feeding them, according to TPWD. They often end up relocated or euthanized, whereas people caught feeding them can be charged with a Class C misdemeanor.

While signage does warn swimmers about the possible presence of alligators, the spokesperson told KPRC 2 that more signs will be posted. The park also hosts gator talks at its nature center every weekend to educate visitors on alligator safety.

Keeping a distance of at least 30 feet from an alligator and refraining from feeding them is paramount. However, TPWD recommends backing away slowly when near one.