Gator surprises beachgoers after washing ashore on Myrtle Beach

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Folks walking along the beach in Myrtle Beach found a companion out enjoying the sun and surf: a 4-foot alligator.

Sharon Martin told The Sun News that she and a friend were taking their daily walk along the beach on Monday evening when the gator came walking out of the ocean.

They called 911 and emergency crews were dispatched. But after a short time lounging on the beach, the alligator headed back to the surf on its own.

The animal was spotted later in the evening and was eventually captured and released into a safe place.

No one was injured, but Martin said she had never seen anything like it and that it was pretty frightening to see an alligator coming out of the surf.

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