To celebrate the end of their first week as ninth

graders at a high school in Orlando, Florida, Edna

Wilks, her friend Amanda Valance and some other

students decided to go for a moonlight dip in a lake

near Edna’s house. “It’s a very safe lake,” said Edna,

then 15, “and we’re good swimmers”.

But as they waded and splashed in the water the

night of August 18, 2001, something broke the

surface of the lake and grabbed Edna’s left arm. “I

thought it was someone playing around,” she said.

“When I saw the alligator’s head, I didn’t have

enough time to scream. He just pulled me under and

started spinning me over and over. I thought that this

was the end”.

For a brief instant, the deadly alligator loosened its

grip and Edna burst to the surface and cried out for

help. “I saw everyone swimming away,” she said. “All

the kids were heading for the shore. I screamed,

‘Come back! Please, don’t leave me’! ”

But everyone did – except for her best friend

Amanda, who didn’t panic and paddled towards her

on a surf board. “I was a bit scared for a moment,”

said Amanda. “Then I thought, no, I can’t leave my
best friend out here to die.” When she reached Edna,
the gator surfaced and seemed to glare at her.
Amanda pushed Edna onto the board, and towed her
steadily towards the shore 50 metres away. The
alligator began to approach them. Although she was
petrified, Amanda kept comforting Edna. “I told her,
‘Don’t give up… you must try… you can make it…’ I
was crying.”
When they reached the shore, Edna’s mother and
paramedics were anxiously waiting to rush her to
hospital. Miraculously, the reptile had only snapped
Edna’s upper arm bone. “We all look up to Amanda.
If it weren’t for her incredible bravery, Edna wouldn’t
be here today,” said Edna’s mum. Edna added,
“Amanda’s biggest fear was being attacked by a shark
or alligator, yet she still took the risk and saved me.
She’s a courageous, amazing friend and she definitely
qualifies as a hero!”

Adapted from: ‘Amazing Stories of Survival’
People Magazine, June 2006