Swimmers were scalloping off the coast. Then a gator started chasing them, cops say
A pesky gator was captured after officials say it began “chasing swimmers” near Port Richey.
The swimmers were scalloping at Durney Key — a small island about a mile off the coast — when the alligator went after them, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
After recieving a call about the chase, Pasco maritime deputies worked with Florida Fish and Wildlife officials and a trapper to safely capture the reptile.
No injuries were reported.
The alligator will be harvested for its meat and hide, according to a Pasco spokesman.
This story was originally published July 30, 2019 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Swimmers were scalloping off the coast. Then a gator started chasing them, cops say."
Michelle Marchante
Miami Herald