Jaws 5: Runaway Reptile
I think I was the first game warden to arrive that morning, Monday, September 20, 2004, after receiving a call about an alligator on Corpus Christi’s North Beach near the USS Lexington Museum, an 888 ft. retired U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. If I had watched the news beforehand, I would’ve known all about it. It was the top story. The opening shot was of a 6 ½-foot alligator alone on the beach. Why was the alligator alone? Mostly because there wasn’t a single tourist who’d go near it. However, there were plenty of would-be beach goers who kept their distance and had plenty to say to the news reporter.
“It’s big and scary and it could eat my dog,” said a lady from somewhere. And then another lady from somewhere else said something like, “My kids were gonna play on the beach today, but when we saw the alligator, I told them it’s just not safe.” Her eyes twitched nervously from side to side before mumbling, “Someone should do something…” Well, I guess the “someone” she was hoping for was there as soon as I arrived. I assessed the situation from the catwalk leading up to the museum, and I saw it right away. It was a sure-enough 6 ½-foot gator, but I couldn’t get near it. The catchpole I carried in my truck wasn’t going to work, so I opted for a heavy-duty trot line thingy-bop I had with a big ol’ honkin’ hook on the end. Unfortunately, I hadn’t brought any bait.
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