A man has died in an alleged alligator attack while looking for frisbees on a lake.
The 47-year-old was combing his water at Taylor Park Disc Golf Course in Largo, Florida, where people are warned to beware of aggressive reptiles.
“At the time, detectives believe the victim was looking for frisbees in the water and a crocodile was involved,” Largo police said.
“There are signs banning swimming in the lake.”
A specialist is working to remove a caiman from the lake and experts will try to determine if he was involved in the death, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
Disco course visitors say people are often seen looking for lost frisbees so they can be sold for a few bucks.
“These are unlucky people,” Ken Hostnick told the Tampa Bay Times.
“Sometimes they dive into the lakes, take out 40 records. You can sell them for $ 5 a piece, and you can sell them for $ 10 a piece, depending on the quality.”
Police are telling people to avoid the lake while the investigation continues.
If confirmed, this would be the first deadly alligator attack in Florida since 2019, although people and animals have been bitten from time to time.
Wildlife officials stress that no one should approach or feed a wild alligator, because reptiles associate people with food.
Once considered endangered animals in Florida, alligators have flourished ever since and can be found in almost any part of the state.