In the battle of firefighters versus alligators, we'll have to chalk up this victory for our boys in red. Firefighters knew exactly how to handle a very angry alligator that was blocking traffic in North Carolina. The creature was testy and bitey, so they kept their distance and let their hoses do the talking.
They ended up removing the 12-foot alligator from the road. According to a Facebook post, Boiling Spring Lakes Fire Rescue responded to calls about the animal at 1 a.m. on Friday. They assisted the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office in removing the creature.
"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."
While firefighters initially tried to shoo it away, that didn't exactly work in their favor. When diplomacy failed, they decided to show the alligator that they meant business. "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."
Alligator Vs Fire Hose
Captain Bill Lathrop of the Boiling Spring Lakes Fire Rescue told USA TODAY, "It took roughly 30 minutes to deploy and execute the options of removing the gator." When they finally managed to get the creature to leave, crews stayed behind to make sure that the gator didn't try to return. Fortunately, there were no nasty surprises. The water hose seemed to work in scaring away the animal for good.
The Brunswick County Sheriff's Office also sent their appreciation to 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.
Alligators are natural to North Carolina so they appear and cross paths with humans from time to time, especially close to the coast like Boiling Springs.
