Depending on who you ask, something may be amiss just below the surface of Fresh Pond in Cambridge.
"It looked like a small version of the Loch Ness monster," said David Braccio, who says he saw something while walking around the pond with his daughter a few weeks ago.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
"It was just like this thing in the water, he was like a hump," he went on to say. "When you see something you have never seen in your whole life, you don't know what it is, your brain doesn't put it together."
Braccio even drew a sketch of what he saw, posting flyers around Fresh Pond asking if anyone had seen the same thing.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
"I also saw it over there and I always would think it was a crocodile," said Sharon Sass on Thursday.
Fresh Pond is important because supplies Cambridge's drinking water. The 1.5 billion gallons of water has been here for hundreds of years. So, when Cambridge water officials saw Braccio's flyer, they investigated.
"We don't think, we know it is a log," said Mark Gallagher, acting managing director of the Cambridge Water Department.
Gallagher says during storms, tree limbs often fall into the pond. In addition, Fresh Pond is aerated, forcing bubbles into the water to keep it moving.
"It is that perfect illusion that there is some large creature swimming in the water, but in fact, it is just a log," Gallagher said.
Cambridge Park Ranger Tim Puopolo agrees.
Ranger Puopolo says it is common to see a 5 to 6-foot eel in the pond, but nothing much larger.
"This has been a natural lake once the settlers arrived, I am sure the legends began sometime in the 1600s," he said.
Still, despite the City's instinct that it is just a log, Braccio is not deterred. He says he wants to set up a trail camera to get a photo of what he says he saw. Ranger Puopolo says he welcomes any photo evidence, but for now, the city's investigation is closed.
"I don't think the City is growing something in the pond for like warfare, I mean I doubt it, it is possible," Braccio said. "I am the one who is going to get a photo and I am going to have the last laugh."
