Everyone has the right to take time off.
Beachgoers in Pennsylvania got the shock of their lives Sunday when they spotted an alligator swimming alongside them on the shore of Lake Erie.
Wild Video Show The reptile was floating about 20 yards off the coast of Erie, silently watching as panicked swimmers fled from the water.
“At first I thought it was a fake,” said Stina Roach, who filmed the now-viral video. He told Go Ellie.
“But then I saw the tail and the body. It was a bit scary.”
Roach and other horrified witnesses reported an unbelievable scene, but the alligator, estimated to be between four and six feet long, hid below the water’s surface before state wildlife experts arrived.
The creature remained on the run for the next three days, but left some evidence that it was still enjoying the waves: Authorities found footprints in the sand on Wednesday.
The Erie Western Pennsylvania Port Authority has been leading the search for the scaled tourist, setting up several traps along the shoreline as well as signs warning swimmers not to enter the water.
“Our concern is ensuring the safety of the public,” Port Authority Executive Director Julie Slomski told Go Erie. “We hope that wherever this crocodile is, it’s safe.”
Authorities suspect the alligator may be an exotic pet that was released into the lake by someone who could no longer keep the creature, which can grow up to 11 feet long.
Lake Erie alligators are a possible suspect for this species’ smaller cousins.
It’s also possible that the alligator is just a toy, part of a long-running prank against the Pennsylvania city.
But authorities are operating under the assumption that the alligator is real, and the rescue operation is urgent – as the cold-blooded reptile would not survive Erie’s cold winters, where temperatures regularly drop below freezing.
And the longer they wait, the further the alligators will be able to travel across the roughly 10,000-square-mile lake.
“We’re grateful that people are sharing what they’ve seen and heard,” Slomski said.
