Current:Home > ContactWatch crews use fire hoses to remove 12-foot 'angry' alligator from North Carolina road -ProgressCapital
Watch crews use fire hoses to remove 12-foot 'angry' alligator from North Carolina road
View
Date:2025-04-11 23:05:10
A 12-foot long alligator was removed from a busy road after it blocked traffic and lunged at passing motorists in North Carolina.
Boiling Spring Lakes Fire Rescue, in a Facebook post Friday, said crews were called in around 1 a.m. Friday by the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office to help remove the alligator.
"This angry interloper was laying in the middle of the road and would lunge at passing motorists," the fire department said. "Deciding that a 12-foot dragon was a bit outside what they could handle solo, they requested our assistance."
When crews arrived at the scene, one officer first tried removing the alligator by shooing it away. However, that didn't work out, so the department decided to use water to move the animal.
"After a first attempt to walk this gentleman across the road failed, we turned to what we know best...we flowed some water," the fire department said. "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 on back into his more natural habitat."
Video footage from the incident shows the firefighters dousing the alligator with water using hoses, causing the animal to move away from the road.
Operation took roughly 30 minutes
Captain Bill Lathrop of the Boiling Spring Lakes Fire Rescue told USA TODAY that "it took roughly 30 minutes to deploy and execute the options of removing the gator." Once the gator was removed, crews stayed on scene to ensure that the animal didn't return, before opening the roadway. Lathrop said that the alligator wasn't seen on the roadway again after the incident.
The Brunswick County Sheriff's Office, a post on Facebook, thanked the Boiling Spring Lakes Fire Rescue "for coming out and helping get this big guy to safety."
"Getting him out of the road likely saved his life and the lives of those traveling along the dark roadway," the sheriff's office said.
American alligators occur naturally in North Carolina, according to North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and can be found inhabiting bay lakes, rivers, creeks, marshes, swamps and ponds. The state is the "northern extent of the alligator's range and they generally become less common as you move from south to north along the NC coast," says the wildlife commission.
Boiling Springs is located close to the North Carolina coast, about 30 miles south of Wilmington.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.
veryGood! (8849)
Related
- Golf's No. 1 Nelly Korda looking to regain her form – and her spot on the Olympic podium
- Mexican man wins case against Cartier after buying $13,000 earrings online for $13
- FCC fines Verizon, AT&T other major carriers nearly $200 million for sharing customer data
- Former NSA worker gets nearly 22 years in prison for selling secrets to undercover FBI agent
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- King Charles III Returns to Public Duties in First Official Appearance Since Cancer Diagnosis
- EPA rule bans toxic chemical that’s commonly used as paint stripper but known to cause liver cancer
- Pope Francis visits Venice in first trip outside of Rome in seven months
- Clay Aiken's son Parker, 15, makes his TV debut, looks like his father's twin
- Florida teenager accidentally kills 11-year-old brother with stolen gun: Police
Ranking
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Cowboys and running back Ezekiel Elliott reuniting after agreeing to deal, AP source says
- Anne Hathaway Shares She's 5 Years Sober
- Tyson-Paul fight sanctioned as professional bout. But many in boxing call it 'exhibition.'
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Hurry, You Can Score 20% off Everything at BaubleBar, With Pieces Starting at Just $10
- New Mexico reaches record settlement over natural gas flaring in the Permian Basin
- Connecticut governor takes partial blame for illegal cutting of 186 trees on neighbor’s property
Recommendation
Billy Bean was an LGBTQ advocate and one of baseball's great heroes
Iconic arch that served as Iditarod finish line collapses in Alaska. Wood rot is likely the culprit
Los Angeles vegan restaurant to add meat dishes, says lifestyle not solution for all
New York special election will fill vacancy in Congress created by resignation of Democrat Higgins
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
US to require automatic emergency braking on new vehicles in 5 years and set performance standards
Why Meghan Markle Won’t Be Joining Prince Harry for His Return to the U.K.
Find Out How Much Money Travis Kelce Will Make With Kansas City Chiefs After New NFL Deal