Victim in suspected Largo gator attack was warned before to stay out of water

The News Channel 8 Team presents the latest information on the events of the day and timely updates on local sports, weather conditions and traffic issues.

[rc]

Some people learn by watching, some by listening. Others have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.

[greysky]

It’s not the alligators fault. People should stay out of their territory, if not they
will get attacked

[susanstyles]

Let's clarify this mess: he's not a killer gator. It's mating season and was probably a bull alligator doing what he's supposed to do. He didn't walk to the dude's place or encampment and kill him. Idiot went into the water, gator defended his territory

[AFAskygoddess]

I live in Florida. I have been a professional scuba diver for 25 years and have enjoying doing shark dives around the globe. But NOTHING would make me want to go into a lake anywhere in Florida. Not even dead drunk and tripping on magic mushrooms, even if I knew the exact location of one ton of gold sitting in the bottom of the lake.

[bodhi]

I hate it when people go into wildlife areas and then complain about the wildlife.

[guadalupebaptista]

Don't blame the gators for what comes naturally. It's understandable that he made his living retrieving stuff from the lake, and he continued to disregard the warnings. But alligators shouldn't be killed because of a stubborn human continuously going into the lake, despite warnings. Now about the people feeding the gators, and making them unafraid of humans,

[Summit]

He was warned and made his own informed decision. Sorry it cost him dearly, but that was his decision.

[MOAB-UT]

Almost happened to me. I didn't know better and was casually walking around a nature reserve at dusk, alone in S. Fl. It was a narrow walkway with gators on either side and in the very nearby swampy brush. I was not in the water, but they had a clear line to me. When I got home I realized what I had done. Many eyes were on me during that walk. At the time, I just thought it was cool. I also never realized how fast they can sprint for short distances- faster than I can run.

[fastmex]

First I wanted to judge but then hearing he was homeless doing it for money is unfortunate. Whoever was paying him to do so should understand what he was setting him up for

[consciousobserver]

I could never pay a homeless man (or ANYONE) to go into alligator-infested waters. He was driven to it because the man had nothing. Sad as hell.

[rverman]

It'd sad for this man that was obviously desperate to make money, but he was warned. Don't punish the animals for doing what they do. This is their turf and they've been here a long time.

[dcc]

The people who payed that poor desperate man to get the stupid discs for them have blood on their hands. They should be ashamed of themselves. RIP poor Shawn!!! God bless you!!!

[WillyLee]

There was some teens doing the same thing at one of my local parks— retrieving discs from the large pond in the park that is also the home of a 10 ft gator that recently moved in. I’ve given them a friendly warning, but they don’t seem to care. Gators generally aren’t a problem, but they will get aggressive during mating/nesting season.

[stevenryle]

I've lived in Florida most of my life (71) and it amazes me how "snow birds" act around the wildlife. Year after year someone buys a lakefront home with shade trees near the waters edge. They tie out their family dog so it can enjoy the lake view and shade. Gator ends up enjoying the dog for a snack. A woman had some shade trees in her back yard. Nice day she put her toddler in the playpen, not too close to the lake's edge but close enough for the gator to see the kid in the playpen. She heard the baby screaming and got there just in time as the gator collapsed the side of the playpen.

[Ascension]

I was prepared to laugh and mock this man, but people will do foolish things out of desperation. I'm so sorry that he felt this was his only opportunity to make money.

[debbiebowles]

So sorry this happened to this man and the community.

[tommyrsrracer]

I hate when animals are killed because some dumbass human does something stupid, it happens out west with bears.

[dandeee]

Of course someone else will say "it's not worth his life", but let's be clear; not homeless either. Someone was giving the homeless dude money for what he was retrieving. When you're desperate common sense can fly out the window. Absolutely heartbreaking that this man saw this as his only option to survive and I'm shocked people can be so cold about it.

[lizf]

This is more of an economic tragedy than about the gator “problem”. That club never should have paid a homeless man to do something that no one would do unless seriously desperate!

[randallsharpe]

When working as a diver I worked in Greencove Spring's FL every once in a while. When I would put a tugboat on the railway I would have to use 12 inch wooden blocks to keep the boat stable. Every once in a while after ascending to the top I would see the biggest Alligator I've ever seen in my life floating on the top of the water right beside me. If he decided to take a bite he would have got half of my body. I was 250lbs in very good shape so I was not a small guy at all. But, he never did make any attempt to attack me at all as I would be reaching distant floating beside each other until the tugboat were complete out of the water. It didn't bother me at all bc it comes with the job working as a commercial diver. Oo what a lucky man I was. Be careful bc the wild life are vary unpredictable. The best advice I can tell you is to safe as possible remain calm, don't panic and make the best of it Amen