Folks walking along the beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 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.

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Thousands of UGA students enjoy during the annual “Frat Beach” party for the weekend of the Georgia-Florida football game on St. Simons Island, Friday, November 1, 2024. On the weekend of the Georgia-Florida football game, St. Simons Island’s East Beach becomes “Frat Beach,” an open-air party teeming with thousands of highly inebriated college students. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC