A man looking for Frisbees in the water along a Florida lakeshore was found dead on Tuesday in a suspected alligator attack, the Largo (Fla.) Police Department said in statement.
Alligator trappers rushed to the scene at Taylor Lake in John S. Taylor Park, a popular disc golf scene, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in statement. The 47-year-old man was not immediately identified, as his family is being notified.
“At this time, detectives believe the victim was looking for Frisbees in the water and a gator was involved,” the police statement read. “There are posted signs of no swimming in the lake.”
A reptile was later caught and euthanized by a contracted nuisance alligator trapper, and a necropsy will be performed to determine if it was involved in the attack, according to Florida television station WFLA that was on the scene.
Reptile:Florida homeowner finds 11-foot, 550-pound alligator enjoying family pool
“Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased,” Florida Fish and Wildlife said in a statement.
This isn’t the first attack at the park. Another man retrieving discs was bitten in the face by an alligator at Taylor Lake back in 2020, according to The Tampa Bay Times.
According to data from the Conservation Commission, deaths by alligator bites in the state of Florida are extremely rare despite the prevalence of the reptiles in vicinities near water.