Florida woman finds alligator chillin' in her pool
MIAMI - A homeowner got a bit of a surprise when an unwanted visitor wanted to kick back in her pool.
Lynn Tosi, who lives in Volusia County, said a big gator busted through her screened-in porch and landed in the pool.
"He busted right through, kinda like the Koolaid man you know," she said.
Wildlife officials say this is the time of year when alligators are most active. This one, who measured more than 11 feet, decided Tosi's pool was the perfect place for a swim after waddling through the woods to find water.
Tosi said when she discovered it, she didn't know what to do.
"I just kind of circled around, not knowing what I was gonna do next. I sure wasn't going outside," she said.
A trapper was called in and hauled it way. Tosi said he was a bit taken aback when he saw it.
"The professional coming to take him out was actually pacing and got on the phone and was really surprised by what they were up against," she said.
Tosi's encounter is one of three involving gators reported in Volusia County over the past five days.
Earlier this week, Scott Hollingsworth, who lives in Daytona Beach, was bitten by an alligator when he opened his front door.
"I barely got a foot out the door when it latched on and shook real hard," he said.
He thought it was a dog. It was an alligator.
"Six feet or seven feet," Hollingsworth said. "I really didn't get a good look at it. When I saw what it was, I stepped back in the house and closed the door. Looked down and I had a large gash in the side of my leg. I was trying to put pressure on it."
The Hollingsworth family says they were later told by wildlife officials the alligator was closer to nine feet.
They said they've seen alligators in the pond behind their house before but never on their front step.
Florida Fish and Wildlife was called out and the alligator responsible for biting Hollingsworth was euthanized by a trapper, according to Daytona Beach police.
Hollingsworth was taken to the hospital where he had to have surgery on his leg.
Last Sunday, Florida Fish and Wildlife said they got a call from a man in Deltona after a gator grabbed his dog. The man shot and killed the alligator. The FWC said he isn't facing any charges.
"It's that time of year. We're kind of used to it around here," said Tosi.
She most people in Florida always play it safe around lakes and ponds, a piece of advice pushed by the FWC especially as the weather gets warmer. The commission, however, makes no mention of backyard swimming pools.
Tosi said after what happened, she thinks all homeowners should double-check before diving in.
Trappers say alligators, like the one found in her pool, are most active at dusk and dawn.
