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Kiana Hummel, 18, was on the hotel beach at night in Puerto Vallarta when the creature surfaced and grabbed her.

She told Good Morning America she was sitting on the sand with her friend when the 3.5 metre croc pulled her into the water.

READ MORE: Teenage boy eaten by crocodile just days after similar incident

"I felt like a really heaviness on my leg. And that heaviness ended up being the crocodile. And, all of a sudden I'm getting dragged into the water.

"And, I just started hitting it as hard as I could and then it just kept taking me under the water," she said.

https://twitter.com/ABCLiz/status/1419812797152595968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

She said people nearby including a worker at Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, jumped into help her.

They managed to free her eventually- but she claimed it took four hours for medical help to arrive.

She is now back in California and has has surgery for muscle and tissue damage.

READ MORE: 'I was beating it on its snout': British woman saves sister from crocodile

A person who said they helped, later wrote on hotel review page, TripAdvisor; "I will never forget the young lady's screams in horror as long as I live.

"She only survived because there were other people on the beach who jumped in to beat the crocodile until it released her," they added.

The teen's mother, Ariana Martinez said her daughter phoned her screaming after the attack.

On a fundraising page, she said she was "blessed" to still have her daughter.

"To all who know my amazing warrior child, I'm am truly grateful to have her alive and have a second chance at life," Ms Martinez wrote.

"Please love your family and kids, hug them, kiss them and tell them how much you love them always. I'm blessed to have my daughter with me."

The family said the hotel should have done more to warn guests.

"They need to be responsible for what happened," Ms Hummel said.

However the hotel has said there are signs and red flags on the beach and night patrols in place.

It said: "The safety and security of our guests and associates is top priority."

READ MORE: British woman fighting for life after her twin battles crocodile

Good Morning America reported the beach has now been fenced off, with signs telling people there's no entry at night.

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