The popular tourist location, Pompano Beach, Florida, was closed after an enormous nine-foot crocodile was spotted cruising the coastline on Monday.
The huge beast was captured on video as it swam up through the clear waters of Pompano Beach, forcing lifeguards to close the beach to visitors until the crocodile moved along, according to USA Today. A woman out for a morning swim and run first spotted the crocodile, and called local officials as soon as she realized the threat, per the outlet.
She also yelled frantically to get the attention of lifeguards on the beach, as at least one person was swimming at the time the crocodile was spotted, USA Today reported. Together, the lifeguards were able to get the man out of the water and warn everyone else on the beach of the monster, according to the outlet.
“Imagine being that guy swimming out there.” 🐊
Pompano Beach in southern Florida was forced to close earlier this week after a roughly 9-foot-long crocodile was spotted lurking in the water. pic.twitter.com/NsoH8Th3hq
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) September 22, 2023
“The lifeguards are trained for any emergency like a shark or runaway boat, but in this case it was a crocodile!” city spokeswoman Sandra King told USA Today. “They had never experienced something like this before, but they knew what to do.” (RELATED: Woman Nearly Gored To Death After Trying To Pet Bison In Yellowstone National Park)
The beach was then closed for all swimming activities. The crocodile apparently ended up chilling in the shade of the pier for the rest of the day, per USA Today. The massive beast had already been tagged by Florida Fish and Wildfire, the outlet noted. Normal operations resumed Tuesday after an extensive search revealed the crocodile has moved on.