Fisherman captures surprise footage of him hooking an 8ft alligator by mistake

A man on a fishing trip in the US state of South Carolina had the shock of his life after he thought he had landed a big catch which actually turned out to be an alligator.

Rob Birchmeier was fishing at the salt marsh at Murrells Inlet on 20th May when he believed he had caught a stingray from his kayak.

However, as the hooked beast slowly rose to the surface it became abundantly clear that this wasn’t a stingray at all but a huge 8-foot American alligator.

“Oh boy, that’s not a stingray . . . surprise, surprise,” he yells.

Birchmeier shared the clip on Facebook adding in the caption: “Sometimes it’s the little surprises that make a trip special. Not sure who was more surprised in Murrells Inlet this morning!!!!!!!!!“

A longer version of the clip which was shared on Myrtle Beach Online, shows the alligator reemerging with the hook still wedged into its leg.

Speaking to the publication, Birchmeier who is a kayak tour guide and owner of Pawley’s Island Beach to Creek, said: “I was as surprised as I could be with that came up. It could have been a mermaid and I wouldn’t have been more surprised.”

The alligator was reportedly able to wriggle free of the hook and swam off unharmed. Meanwhile, Birchmeier said that the incident will not dissuade him from fishing in his kayak again.