Man who discovered alligator carrying woman in its mouth thought her body was a mannequin

A man who discovered an alligator without a dead woman in his mouth says he initially thought the woman's remains were a mannequin.

The tragic incident that unfolded in Largo, Florida, saw JaMarcus Bullard, en route to a job interview, stumble upon a distressing scene involving a 14-foot alligator holding a human body in its mouth.

The shocking event occurred near a park, approximately thirty minutes from Tampa, leading to the immediate dispatch of emergency crews on Friday, Tampa Fox affiliate WTVT reports.

The unnerving discovery was made around 2:00PM, necessitating Florida Fish and Wildlife officers to engage in a tense wrestle with the reptile to retrieve the body from the water. Post this harrowing encounter, it was confirmed by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office that the alligator was humanely euthanized.

A man who discovered an alligator without a dead woman in his mouth says he initially thought the woman's remains were a mannequin. Credit: Stan Dzugan / Getty

The circumstances surrounding the death remain shrouded in ambiguity as investigators are yet to establish whether the individual fell prey to an alligator attack or if the reptile encountered the deceased after her death.

An autopsy is underway as officers from Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office delve deeper to unravel the facts surrounding this unsettling find.

The local resident, who was bound for a job interview and was scouting for fish in a neighborhood lake, recounted the traumatic experience to WTVT, "I noticed it had a body in its mouth, like a lower torso. So once I realized that, I ran straight to the fire department and got them. They confirmed there was a body."

The unnerving discovery was made around 2:00PM. Credit: Bruce Bennett / Getty

In a series of unfolding visuals, local TV captured the deceased reptile being hoisted onto the back of a truck, revealing traces of blood on the adjacent sidewalk. The witness, who had never encountered a live gator before, initially mistook the scene as the alligator having caught a mannequin, "It looked pale and white," he described the disturbing sight.

The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on him as he realized the proximity of the scene to a local school and a Boys and Girls Club. "All I can think about is all of these little kids that go to the school right behind me. They come this way every single day," he expressed his concern.

This gruesome and unprecedented incident has not only sparked an extensive investigation but has also rattled the local community, bringing to light the unforeseen dangers lurking in everyday locales, and leaving residents, especially those with children, in a state of heightened alertness.

Featured image credit: Juraj Beres / 500px / Getty