School Pickup Turns Into Python Sighting on Marco Island

School Pickup Turns Into Python Sighting on Marco Island

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — What began as an ordinary school pickup quickly turned into a classic Florida surprise when a Marco Island father spotted something unusual slithering along the roadside — and it definitely wasn’t a garden hose.

Sean Stuart was on his way to pick up his daughter from Marco Island Academy when he noticed something thick and scaly moving through the grass along Sheffield Avenue. Stuart slowed, stopped, then backed up his truck to get a better look.

What he found was an 11-foot Burmese python, as thick as a football, creeping through a grassy area just a few hundred feet from nearby homes.

“I’m from Boston,” Stuart said. “We’ve got lobsters and championship sports teams — not giant pythons.”

Stuart, who owns Marco Island Roofing, pulled out his phone, recorded the snake, and shared the video online.

“When you see something basically double the size of you, that’s scary,” he said. “I’m a roofer, not a python hunter. I wasn’t chasing that thing.”

The video quickly caught the attention of neighbors and sparked a rapid community response. Paul Miller, a Marco Island charter boat captain with Florida Jaws who also traps pythons, arrived with a partner to search the area.

“That’s the biggest one I’ve ever seen on Marco Island,” Miller said. “We went back into the woods with some residents and found it hiding in a big brush pile. It was not happy to be discovered.”

The snake was ultimately captured and turned over to state wildlife researchers. Officials say it will be studied as part of ongoing efforts to better understand and control Florida’s expanding population of invasive Burmese pythons, which pose a serious threat to native wildlife.

“They’re invasive,” Stuart said. “And we want to get rid of them as fast as possible. They’re only going to get bigger, and there will be more of them.”

Wildlife officials remind residents not to approach or attempt to handle pythons. Sightings should be reported to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s invasive species hotline or through the agency’s official reporting system.