Snipers shielded rescue divers in pond full of alligators

A group of Florida rescue divers, assisted by snipers, dived into a pond full of alligators in search of two missing people.

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The US media reported on an unusual situation that occurred in Miami. According to reports, Florida snipers were covering rescue divers who were diving into a pond full of alligators. The aim was to extract two people who had been involved in a road accident and found themselves in a pond full of dangerous reptiles.

The victims of the accident were a mother and son. Nieves Matos, 80, and her son Mario Laza, 56, were driving on the Florida Turnpike in Miami on Friday, May 27. At some point, the male driver lost control of the vehicle and the car crashed into a retention pond along the road.

The driver lost control of the vehicle and drove off the road into a pond – Florida Highway Patrol Lieutenant Alex Camacho said.

Witnesses present at the scene and came rescuers set off towards the waterto retrieve the victims of the accident. At some point everyone realised that the water was swarming with alligators. The police called in snipers, who set up on the banks of the reservoir and covered the rescue divers in the water.

In footage released by Miami-based station WSVN, police snipers can be seen lying down with guns pointed towards the water. At the same time, rescuers were trying to locate and extract the accident victims from the water, and alligators can be seen circling around them.

Rescuers located and extracted Nieves Matos in time and the woman survived the entire incident. Unfortunately, her son died after being transported to hospital.

Footage of the event can be viewed on the WSVN website.