Luke Ingram was in for a surprise last week when he went Thursday morning to clean the pool of Strathy Hall subdivision outside Richmond Hill.

Ingram, who works from Perfect Pools, found an alligator enjoying the cool waters of the pool.

Skip Youmans with the Bryan County Health Department said he wasn’t sure how the gator made it into the pool area. The incident serves as a good reminder for those with pools to check them every morning to avoid being caught by surprise, he said.

According to Youmans, the gator was captured with the help of Bryan County Animal Control agent Tommy Foster, who released the animal in a secluded area.