Firefighters vs. Alligator: 12-Foot Monster Gets a Hosing

Firefighters in North Carolina were called to address an unusual "traffic issue" late on Friday night.

A huge alligator in the middle of a road in Brunswick County was lunging at passing motorists, prompting the sheriff's office to call in the help of firefighters, who were able to move the beast along – by spraying it with a hose.

The Context

There is currently an estimated 1,000 alligators in North Carolina. The alligator population is stable and thriving in their environment, according to the North Carolina Sea Grant.

Alligators generally reside in the southeast of the state, particularly in the coastal plain regions as there are multiple freshwater environments for them to live in, like lakes and ponds.

Incidents involving alligators in North Carolina are rare, but they do happen. Particularly in the warmer months as this is when alligators are more active.

These incidents tend to involve minor interactions or sightings, when alligators may be found in residential areas, public places or roads.

In May, deputies had to remove a large alligator from a main highway twice in one night, according to the North Carolina news.

"Most public safety agencies in this area deal with animal calls on a regular basis," Boiling Spring Lakes Fire Rescue Captain and Operations Administrator Bill Lathrop told Newsweek. "However, dealing with an extremely oversized lizard shutting down a roadway doesn't happen with the same frequency."

What We Know

At approximately 1 a.m. on June 28, a crew from Boiling Spring Lakes Fire Rescue were called to assist in what they described on Facebook as "a bit of a traffic issue."

That traffic issue turned out to be an "angry" 12-foot alligator lying in the road.

"Just when you think you've seen it all... Then you go help the brothers in blue remove a dinosaur from the road!" the Facebook post said.

The real outlier here is the size of the gator. Lathrop told us "It is fairly often that, law enforcement mainly, handles calls relating to alligators in the roadway causing some minor issues," Lathrop explained.

"Just not always quite so big," he added.

Lathrop said that when it came to moving the alligator, "coordination of resources and coming up with a plan took longer than actually moving this creature."

Lathrop said the crew first thought they could encourage the gator to move through man power, as generally alligators of that size don't like to be around people.

When that didn't work, they took a hose to the giant reptile.

Firefighters remove alligator from road. Photo courtesy of Boiling Springs Lakes Fire Rescue.

"With a gentle shower deployed to encourage a retreat, the gator finally decided he was done with civilization for the time being and finally moved back into his more natural habitat," the fire crew's post on Facebook explained.

The post closed with "Not always just another day on the job in Brunswick County, NC," alongside a laughing face emoji.

The incident lasted around 30 minutes before firefighters were able to send the gator on it's way, according to Lathrop.

Views

Some social media users were delighted by the news of the alligator incident, and the accompanying post. One user commented, "This commentary is hilarious – writer may have missed his calling," while another joked, "just grab his tail & pull."

Other users were quick to point out the dangers for alligators and other wildlife. One user commented, "He is a big and beautiful boy, just trying to survive with less and less land for the wildlife!" Another commented, "It's his road through his swamp. We're the trespassers."

The Brunswick County Sheriff's Office thanked the Boiling Spring Lakes firefighters on Facebook.

"Getting him out of the road likely saved his life and the lives of those traveling along the dark roadway!" read the BCSO's Facebook post. "Great job and great teamwork between our agencies!"

What's Next?

Alligators are known to be more active in the warmer months, so as the summer continues it is likely that local authorities will be on high alert for gators who are wandering out of their natural habitat.

Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about alligators? Contact [email protected]

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