Giant Lego man washes ashore on Sarasota beach (VIDEO)

GlobalPost

A Giant Lego Man washed ashore on a Sarasota, Fla., beach on Tuesday. The fiberglass figure is eight feet tall, 100 pounds and wears a t-shirt emblazoned with the name "Ego Leonard" and the curious message, “NO REAL THAN YOU ARE,” the Washington Post reports.

A local man, Jeff Hindman, found the Lego man drifting in the surf during a pre-dawn stroll along Siesta Key beach, according to the Sarasota-Herald Tribune. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office hauled the Lego man away, the Washington Post reports, but not before beachgoers snapped photos and shot videos of the larger-than-life figure.

A spokeswoman for Legoland told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that the figure was not manufactured by Lego and is not a publicity stunt by Legoland or its parent company, Merlin Entertainments Group.

Reporters for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune believe the Lego man’s creator is an artist known as Ego Leonard who’s represented by St. Art Gallery in the Netherlands.

The artist is reportedly behind similar incidents of Lego men washing up on beaches in Holland in 2007 and England in 2008.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune reporters contacted the artist and received the following email in response: "I am glad I crossed over. Although it was a hell of a swimm. Nice weather here and friendly people. I think I am gonna stay here for a while. A local sheriff escorted me to my new home."

If no one claims the Lego man from the authorities in 90 days, Hindman will own it. He’s already decided to sell it on eBay, the Washington Post reports.

Sign up for our daily newsletter

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.