He never was in any real danger – but a brave deputy who threw himself on top of an alligator may not have known it at the time.

The “pop” was a pretty clear sign, though. The only risk was to his reputation.

“The gator turned out to be a pool floatie,” the Polk County Sheriff’s Office tweeted, explaining that Deputy Trexler was responding to a call about an alligator in a storage shed.

The tweet poked fun, but Deputy Trexler seems to be taking the jokes about his wild encounter in stride. He posed for a picture with one of the world’s most fearsome inflatable predators.

“He came…he saw…he conquered the beast,” PCSO said.

“He even knocked the wind out of it. Literally.”

Spectrum Bay News 9 asked the sheriff’s office when Deputy Trexler realized the reptile was inflatable. Their response:

“Shhh. He doesn’t know yet. We’re letting him enjoy the moment.”