Man shoots hole in water tower next to Florida golf course

(WFLA) A 49-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after deputies said he shot a hole into a water tower on a Dunedin golf course.

Mark Fitzgerald, of Dunedin, faces charges of felony criminal mischief, discharging a firearm and use of a firearm while under the influence, deputies said.

Deputies saw Fitzgerald driving a vehicle off a golf cart access south of Palm Boulevard across from the country club.

Fitzgerald had a .308-caliber rifle and .45-caliber handgun in his vehicle and showed signs of impairment, deputies said.

Fitzgerald said he was searching for his lost dog and brought the guns for protection in case he encountered coyotes, deputies said.

One of the rounds struck a City of Dunedin water tower south of Curlew Road and east of Alternate 19, deputies said. The tower, which holds about 1 million gallons of reclaimed water for irrigation, has been drained. About 550,000 gallons were in the tank, city officials said.

The city is working to patch the hole but a cost estimate would not be available until crews can determine the extent of the damage.

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