NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — When vacationing at the Carolina coast, beachgoers know to be aware of sharks.
But over the Memorial Day weekend, there was another creature lurking in the waters at North Myrtle Beach, SC.
An alligator, approximately 5-feet-long, was spotted wading in a tide pool there on the beach Sunday.
Brock Wright captured video of the reptile.
"Myself and a couple others saw it in the ocean and a crowd gathered," he said. "It came on shore and was swimming in shallow water on the beach. Lifeguards got everyone out of the water."
North Myrtle Beach Ocean Rescue shared photos of the alligator on its Facebook page. The rescue group said it helped the SC Department of Natural Resources get the alligator safely off the beach.
"If you see an animal out of its natural habitat, please remember that it may be confused or scared and give it plenty of space until it can be removed safely," the group posted.
Wright said vacationers were out of the water for about 45 minutes.