A home inspector saw a little more than code violations while inspecting a home in North Carolina, coming face-to-face with a live alligator in an attic.
Dean Brown, who has been a home inspector for a little more than a year, climbed up to the three-story attic of a New Hanover County home, where he encountered what he initially believed to be a stuffed alligator lurking in the corner, WECT reported.
“And then I started continuing doing my job, then I looked back at him and realized he was moving and breathing,” Brown told the outlet. “He was kind of asleep, I guess. But once I shined my flashlight on his head, his eyes started to open, and he gave me a wink and let me know ‘I’m alive’,” he continued.
Have you ever seen an alligator in an attic?
One of our code compliance officials found this 8-foot alligator while inspecting a new home construction site 😱
Thank you to our officials who work hard to make sure buildings and homes are safe for our residents – and ‘gator free! pic.twitter.com/p089texDgV— New Hanover County (@NewHanoverCo) March 9, 2023
Brown opted to leave the alligator in peace, taking a few pictures before he called his co-workers to warn them of the reptile’s presence.
“Nobody would believe me. You know, I made phone calls. I tell people around me; nobody would believe me. And one person did get around to go and look when he realized I was not joking. He was able to communicate with the rest of the workers on site to leave,” he told the outlet.
Although Brown has encountered various animals in his work before, this was the first time he had ever stumbled on an alligator inside a home. (RELATED: Alligator Breaks Through Florida Kitchen Window)
“I have seen squirrels, of course, small rodents. Squirrels, probably the biggest ones I’ve seen in the attic. I have seen a gator that was in the yard, kind of sunbathing. Back in the 90s. You know, I really didn’t think much of that. I have run into several snakes. You know, it’s the nature of, of doing construction and working, going under homes or going in attics, you’re liable to run into something. Whether they’re alive or deceased. It happens,” he told the outlet.
How the eight-foot alligator got into the attic remains a mystery, but Brown believes a door must have been left open over the weekend and the alligator just made itself at home.
“The builder arrived Monday morning and realized there was mud in the house, wasn’t sure where it was from, but he did call people in to clean and repaint some areas,” Brown told the outlet before revealing that it was a day and half later when he discovered the gator in the attic. The animal was eventually removed by animal control.
“It was an experience that I’ll never forget, not be able to share for a very long time. And I’m just thankful that no one got hurt,” Brown stated.