Florida family finds 10-foot alligator swimming in their pool

DEEP CREEK, Fla. — A family in southwestern Florida was shocked to find a nearly 11-foot-long alligator swimming in their pool.

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The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office shared photos of the large reptile in a Facebook post, joking, “Water Safety Month, Tip #37: Always check your pool before diving in!”

Deputies said the family who owns the pool woke up because of loud noises and came out to find the alligator in the pool. The reptile was 10 feet, 11 inches long, and weighed over 550 pounds, deputies said.

Officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission joined sheriff’s deputies at the scene to wrangle the alligator and remove it, WBBH reported.

Deputies said the alligator tore through a screen to access the pool and take a swim.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program designed to help people when gators get too close. Under FWC guidelines, “an alligator is deemed a nuisance if it is at least 4 feet in length and the caller believes it poses a threat to people, pets or property.” The FWC says it also sends a trapper any time a smaller alligator is trapped on private property where it shouldn’t be, like a pool or a garage.

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Florida family finds 10-foot alligator swimming in their pool Deputies who responded to the scene said the 550-pound reptile broke through a screen to access the pool for a swim. (Charlotte County Sheriff's Office)

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