Giant Gator Halts Recovery of Stolen Submerged Car in Florida

Screenshot from Facebook. Photo by Martin County Fire Rescue | Facebook

On the morning of February 14, the Martin County Fire Rescue (MCFR) responded to a call about the removal of a submerged car from a lake off of Southwest Citrus Boulevard. When the dive team entered the water, the resident alligator came to lend a helping tooth. 

According to a report made by the MCFR, when responders arrived on scene, the B-Shift 21 personnel entered into the water to prepare the submerged car for the coming dive team. When the divers of the Special Ops Dive Team from Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) got into the water just minutes later, a large alligator paddled over to greet them. 

The divers made it out of the water with no reported issues, and the MCFR called out one of its retirees, who now owns and operates an alligator trapping company. With the help of an MCSO deputy, the trapper was able to safely trap, tape, and remove the alligator, which was approximately 9 feet and 6 inches long. Once the alligator was removed, the divers were able to get back in the water, assess, and remove the car. 

In an official statement, the MCSO says that the subgermed vehicle was originally called in by someone traveling past it close to the North County line on Citrus Boulevard. The investigation is still ongoing, but the car was reported stolen from St. Lucie County, and, at this time, it is unclear whether the stolen vehicle was dumped in the lake or if it had ended up there due to a crash. Furthermore, the divers found the vehicle unoccupied.
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The MCSO Dive Team consists of a group of four master divers who are on call 24/7. They are equipped with standard dive gear, including Interspiro full-face masks, wireless communications, and dry suits, which allows them to respond to emergencies in almost any waterway in Martin County. This team is responsible for matters such as evidence extraction, drown victim recovery, underwater photography and videography, and vehicle recovery, like the submerged car that brought them face-to-face with a nearly 10-foot long alligator this past Valentine’s Day.

Article by Ema Tibbetts