CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The lake was small enough for rumors of a reptile to spread and big enough for the reptile to remain exactly that — a rumor.
For almost all of August, the nooks and crannies of Crockery Lake have been searched for an alligator, believed to be swimming in the residential body of water after it was released from captivity as a pet.
Those living on the Ottawa County lake have faith in its existence, swearing to have seen the gator themselves, corroborating their accounts with grainy photos shared to Facebook. The small town story has gone viral on TikTok, they say.
READ MORE: Possible alligator spotted in Ottawa County's Crockery Lake
"I do believe there's a gator out there," said one resident, the treasurer of the Crockery Lake Association.
"This can turn into another Nessie thing," said another. She wore a bright green 'Croc-kery Lake' t-shirt, custom made for the return of one of the lake's own: Dan Rooks, a hobby alligator hunter who grew up on Crockery and later moved to Florida as an adult. He traveled north upon hearing the rumors, thinking he could help.
"Florida man returns," he said. "If there's somebody that's going to [catch] it, I'm going to be the one."
On Thursday, Rooks met with residents of the lake before beginning a nighttime search, his second that week.
"I got to say it's the thrill," Rooks told FOX 17. "The thrill of being able to be up close with something that's essentially a dinosaur. This thing has been on the planet for millions of years. It's relatively unchanged."
When darkness fell, Rooks and his pontoon boat crew — a collection of local friends and residents — pulled out flashlights, shining them along the edges of the lake. A pair of red, glinting eyes were their prize.
"They keep their temperature better in the water, honestly," said Rooks, pointing his beam beneath docks and shore stations. Intermittently, he also played a series of alligator calls, trying to attract the reptile to the boat.
Several hours and laps around the lake later, they had still seen nothing. It was nearly midnight.
"Didn't work out for us," Rooks said. "Doesn't mean that it's not here. There's still a chance that it is."
While Rooks plans to search the lake many more times during his stay in Michigan, the summertime tales now shared by this community are real, regardless of whether the alligator is found or fictional.
"I've seen a community come together in a way that I haven't seen before," Rooks said. "Which is nice."
