ORLANDO, Fla. – A water rescue is underway Wednesday for a teenage boy seen flailing in a large retention pond in Orlando while screaming, "It bit me! It bit me!" according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies and personnel from Florida Fish and Wildlife and other local agencies converged on the area at about noon, WKMG reports.
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The man ran inside to grab his binoculars and saw a teenage boy flailing in the pond while yelling, "It bit me! It bit me!" Williamson said, describing the witness as credible and cooperative.
Officials said neighbors have reported seeing a 6-foot alligator in the pond in the past.
FWC Officer Chad Weber said it's not clear at this point if an alligator was involved in the boy's disappearance. He said the agency is treating the incident as a case of a missing person and possible drowning.
Crews will continue to search the pond until the boy is found or until the sheriff calls the search off.
"It could be days, literally," Williamson said.
Authorities canvassed the neighborhood Wednesday afternoon to ask residents if they knew of any teenage boys who had been reported missing, but so far they have not been able to identify the boy involved.
Video from a news helicopter showed at least three boats searching the north side of the pond near a canal.
Orange County sheriff's deputies said more equipment is being brought in to assist in the search.
Areas around the lake are blocked off by crime tape, and officials from Orange County Fire Rescue, the Orange County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are at the scene. Two ambulances were called to the area.
Residents who live nearby said they didn't hear anything before the rescue efforts were launched. They said teens often fish at the lake despite "no trespassing" signs in the area.
No other details have been released.