LARGO, Fla. – Authorities on Wednesday identified a man who died after investigators believe he waded into a lake inhabited by alligators to find Frisbees and other flying discs to sell.
Largo police said Sean Thomas McGuinness, 47, was found Tuesday morning at the Taylor Park lake by someone walking a dog. Although the exact cause of death is unknown, police said it was clear that McGuinness “suffered injuries related to alligators in the lake.”
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Authorities said McGuinness was known to frequent Taylor Park, home to a disc golf course adjacent to the lake. That was where McGuinness would find Frisbees and other discs that he could resell.
It's not clear if McGuinness was killed by an alligator or if one of the reptiles found him after he died. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said two alligators were trapped — one 10 feet (3 meters) long, the other eight feet (2.4 meters) — but necropsies did not implicate either in McGuinness' death.
“Efforts are underway to monitor for additional alligators in the area,” the commission said in an email.
The wildlife commission says there have been no fatal alligator attacks in Florida since 2019, although people and animals have been bitten on occasion. Signs at the Taylor Park lake warn about alligators and that people should not swim there.