A giant 14-foot alligator was caught carrying the lifeless body of a Florida resident down a canal on Friday. The grim sight was first witnessed by a person on a residential street in Largo, a small community located just four miles south of Clearwater.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a body in the waterway near 134th Avenue North and 121st Street in Ridgecrest, Florida after getting reports of a body in the waterway, according to FOX 13. With the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, authorities took the necessary steps to "humanely kill" the alligator involved in the incident. Blood could be seen near the alligator.
Killed Gator Moving Fearlessly
"I saw the gator. It appeared to be a body in his mouth, so I started recording," JaMarcus Bullard told Spectrum Bay News 9.
"I picked up a rock to hit it, it was a lower torso in his mouth. It just like swam backward down into the lower canal."
Upon witnessing the gruesome sight, Bullard, who was on his way to a job interview, quickly notified the Largo Fire Department, just a few steps away from the gory scene.
Emergency responders swiftly took action, retrieving the alligator from the water and, as described by Bullard, shooting it "a few times" to neutralize the threat.
"A lot of my neighbors were out here and they're the ones that told me about the gator," area resident Jennifer Dean told the outlet.
"While we were standing here we heard a shot, I assume they killed the gator."
Chilling Scene of Death
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office confirmed that both the victim and the alligator were removed from the canal. However, they did not reveal whether they were responsible for killing the alligator.
At the location, investigators were present alongside the alligator, which showed visible signs of blood, and seemed to measure at least 14 feet in length.
The area is near the popular Ridgecrest Park, which includes a 5-acre lake known to house alligators.
According to Dean, alligators are known to roam the neighborhood regularly. However, the alligator euthanized on Friday was notably one of the largest she had ever encountered.
An investigation is ongoing and authorities have confirmed that an autopsy will be carried out to ascertain the cause of death for the individual involved. As of now, the identity of the victim remains undisclosed, according to the police.
