Alligator on bottom of pool brings swim team practice to a halt at Florida school

Alligators are notorious in Florida for showing up in the darnedest places, but one demonstrated real chutzpah days ago when it took over the school’s eight-lane, 25-meter competition pool just as the swim team was about to practice.

It happened Friday, March 11, at Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, and deputies arrived to see the gator holding its breath and strutting around the bottom of the pool.

“A 3-foot alligator ... had decided to try out for the swim team, preventing the actual swim team from practicing,” the Lake County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook.

“Deputy Brownsberger was able to use a safety hook to bring him to the edge where Deputy Faust reached down and grabbed the gator. His mouth was then secured with electric tape and (he was) temporarily detained.”

It was taken to nearby Lake Apopka, “where the gator was released on its own recognizance,” deputies said.

“No deputies or gators were hurt during the encounter.”

Investigators did not say who found the young alligator.

Montverde Academy is an “international college preparatory school” for grades Pre-K3 through 12. Its Montverde Aquatic Club “is a year-round USA Swimming program for beginner, age group, senior, and international swimmers,” according to the school’s website.

The Facebook post about the discovery has gotten hundreds of reactions and prompted a lot of jokes, including some from commenters who suspected team members had a hard time explaining to parents why they skipped practice.

“They should have kept the little guy in there! Would have made the team swim faster and help improve their times!” Danae Allen wrote on Facebook.

“Did the alligator make the swim team?” Lynda Cisco asked.

“Where there’s a baby there will be a momma somewhere,” Brenda Bolden Beal said.

Florida is home to 1.3 million alligators and they live in all 67 counties, the state says. American alligators can grow to more than 14 feet and over 1,000 pounds in Florida, the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports.

This story was originally published March 14, 2022 at 8:09 AM with the headline "Alligator on bottom of pool brings swim team practice to a halt at Florida school."