McHenry County deputy retrieves alligator prop from Fox River after homeowner thought it was real

Fake gator was found beneath the pier of a Port Barrington home

March 11, 2021 at 5:08 pm CST

McHenry County Sheriff's Office Deputy Laura Larson retrieved a fake alligator from the Fox River after a Port Barrington homeowner was spooked, thinking it was the real thing. (Image provided)

A report of an 8-foot alligator beneath a Port Barrington home’s pier on the Fox River sent a McHenry County Sheriff’s Office deputy on a potentially perilous mission.

Falling into the water, however, turned out to be a greater risk than the reptile, which was discovered to be a prop.

Deputy Laura Larson was dispatched to the scene and saw the swamp-dwelling predator floating against the pier. She then saw a dead fish floating next to the gator, said McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Byrnes, a spokesman for the office.

Larson reached down and knocked on the gator’s back, Byrnes said. It sounded hollow, so the deputy proceeded to reach in and pull it out, managing to avoid taking a plunge.

“The homeowner initially thought the alligator was real, and it turned out to be approximately 6 feet in length,” Byrnes said.

Animal control officers were told to cancel their response, Byrnes said.