Motorist heard ‘odd noise’ coming from under the car, Florida cops say. It was alive
A Florida motorist heard an “odd noise” under her car earlier this month and it was definitely not due to a mechanical issue.
According to a July 15 Facebook post from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, two deputies were dispatched to help out a concerned local in the city of Seminole, about 10 miles northwest of St. Petersburg, the Miami Herald was told on Friday.
READ MORE: Florida woman finds gator in the pool
The “odd noise” turned out to be an alligator, and “the citizen took one look and noped right out of there.”
Deputies Dinah Doherty and Miranda Smith were able to successfully remove the juvenile reptile and deliver it to “a safe location.”
The sheriff’s office goes on to give advice to other folks who find themselves in this frightening situation in the Sunshine State.
“Alligators are everywhere in Florida and it’s not uncommon to find one in your yard, pool, or driveway as they travel from one lake to another,” says the FB post, which includes a picture of Doherty holding the reptile, its jaws taped shut. “If this happens to you, don’t try to catch, harass, or shoo the gator away. Even a gator minding its own business can bite if you bother it. Most of the time the gator will leave on its own.”
READ MORE: Alligator vs. snake. Who wins?
Caveat: If there’s a safety issue to either the human or the animal, call 911 or the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission’s alligator nuisance hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
This story was originally published July 21, 2023 at 2:20 PM.
