Hilton Head family finds giant alligator ‘Big George’ on patio. ‘He was very angry’
Next time you are having a crazy day, just be thankful you don’t have an alligator ransacking your patio.
The Lossada family in Sea Pines got a first-hand look at how destructive an angry alligator can be on Monday when the behemoth known as “George” or “Big George” wandered away from his lagoon and found himself outside their door.
“We see those everyday, but never in the backyard knocking everything down,” said Fernando Lossada, who explained that there are lagoons in front and behind their home. “This is to the next level.”
The alligator toppled the patio furniture and tossed the fire pit, breaking items that were on the table and banging his tail into the glass door.
“He was angry,” Lossada said. “He was very angry.”
Lossada was working at Truffles, where he is a partner, when he got a call from his mother, who was home with his three children.
He heard the word alligator and screaming “like crazy,” he said. Then the phone went dead. He barely remembers what happened next in his panic to get home.
“Talk about stress,” he said.
Ultimately, it took four security guards to move the giant gator back to a nearby lagoon.
“As long as he doesn’t hurt anybody, they just put him back in the water,” Lossada said. “This is his home, and he’s not hurting anybody. We just need to be careful.”
Toby McSwain, head of security for Sea Pines, would not comment about relocating the alligator or estimate its size.
As the Lowcountry weather warms, large alligators likely will be found in unusual places as the males are on the move looking for mates.
Last spring and summer, large alligators were spotted on highways such as S.C. 170 and the Cross Island Parkway. They were pulled out of pools and disrupted play on golf courses.
Lessons learned
Lossada was ready to look at the silver lining: It was a great home-school lesson for his kids, who are out of school because of coronavirus closings.
“This is a great thing for kids to learn right now,” he said. “See, this was what we are talking about, guys. You don’t get close to alligators.”
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources offers tips for alligator safety. Never feed an alligator because it makes them associate humans with food. Also, keep your distance; it’s illegal to throw anything at an alligator or disturb them in any way.
While alligator attacks are rare, more than half the state’s recorded attacks have occurred in Beaufort County, The Island Packet previously reported.
Lossada said it was tricky to explain to his children, ages 6 to 10, why an alligator might be in their yard.
“He was looking for a friend, and he got lost,” he told them.
Still, he was happy the encounter happened and that everyone stayed safe.
“They actually saw action and saw how dangerous they can be,” Lossada said. “The best thing we can do is keep talking to the kids.”
This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 1:36 PM with the headline "Hilton Head family finds giant alligator ‘Big George’ on patio. ‘He was very angry’."
