'Big monster': Fisherman shocked to see crocodile at Sebastian Inlet State Park
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Fishermen came to face with a crocodile in Brevard County while night fishing at Sebastian Inlet State Park.
It happened late last month, and FWC believes it’s the same croc that traveled nearly 100 miles back to the Space Coast after it was captured and relocated last year.
"He just appeared out of nowhere, literally like Houdini," said Pablo Rosario who filmed the encounter in disbelief back in May.
He and several others nighttime fishing trip at Sebastian Inlet suddenly stopped when a crocodile emerged on the rocks behind the group around 10 p.m.
"I was the first one who was going to get chomped if anything," said the fisherman who’s been fishing at the inlet for a decade.
When he confirmed it was in fact a crocodile, he immediately started filming the unsettling encounter with the 7-to-8-foot crocodile.
He had no idea the reptile was behind him and how long he was there for, as they had been fishing for hours before anyone noticed the animal.
"Maybe I would have lost a leg, an arm, even worse, maybe I would have lost my life," said Rosario.
He’s thankful his friends alerted him before anyone was injured, and he isn’t the only fisherman who recently saw the croc at the inlet.
Another fisherman who’s been fishing the inlet for 40 years shared video with FOX 35 of his encounter. You can see tense moments when he had to maneuver around the crocodile to reach his raft.
"I’ve seen some crazy stuff, but this is one of the top top top, something that will never be forgotten," said Rosario.
Fisherman say, they’re used to seeing all kinds of wildlife at the state park. But, this encounter tops the list and is something they won’t forget.
Rosario says it’s memorable to see "a crocodile behind you at night, you know, where it’s total kind of darkness and you see that big monster behind you."
FWC says, the state park was most likely a stopping point for the crocodile who is now roaming canals in Satellite Beach.