A deputy from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office in Florida bravely removed an alligator from a swimming pool using only his bare hands. The incident occurred in St. Augustine, where residents discovered the gator enjoying a swim in their backyard pool. Body camera footage shared by the sheriff's office captured the moment the deputy, identified as Deputy Richardson, initially attempted to capture the alligator with a net before resorting to using his hands to pull the reptile out of the water.
Residents were impressed by Deputy Richardson's calm and confident handling of the situation. One resident can be heard in the video saying, "Obviously, you grew up here," acknowledging the deputy's familiarity with such wildlife encounters. The alligator, described as "super mad," was safely relocated to a nearby pond after being transported in the back of a patrol car.
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the alligator was buckled in during its ride to ensure its safety.
You can watch the body camera footage below, showing Deputy Richardson pulling the alligator from the pool and bringing it to his squad car.