It appears the victim, Nancy Becker, was gardening near a pond in Sun City Hilton Head, an adult-only community, and slipped in, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Natural Resources. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal, according to the police report released Monday. She saw an alligator and was fascinated by it and went to touch it, against her friends warning. Covert never screamed during the deadly attack, the woman told police. It was at. Covert was pulled under the water shortly after, the report read. The fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday was the first in the state since May 2020. Sure, the baby alligator is certainly not a common sight at the popular coffee shop. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Responders found the gator "guarding" Becker, officials said. Hilton Head Island residents share the roads with 2,000 - 4,000 alligators - who use an "alligator crossing" to cross busy roads. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. This attack is the fourth reported in Charleston County history, according to SCDNR records. The death of Cassandra Cline, a 45-year-old elementary school teacher, who was killed by a 9-foot alligator while protecting her dog on Hilton Head Island Monday made headlines around the world. "And then her husband, he was in charge with bocce years ago, and he passed away. As friends tried to yank her from the alligators grasp, she calmly said, I guess I wont do this again, moments before the alligator rolled and pulled her under the water, the newspaper reported. Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter:@jordan_mendoza5. She stated her husband tried to save her friend, but the alligator dragged her under the water, the report said. In 2018, an eight-foot-long . 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Woman killed in South Carolina gator attack, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother, Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect. The womans husband and another man tried beating the alligator with shovels, but the animal swam deeper, the police report said. Got a tip for a story? This is the first deadly alligator attack in the state since May 2020, according to authorities. People building homes where alligators live have caused the increase in attacks, Mazzotti, a wildlife expert with the University of Floridas Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, tells TIME. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. The Florida conservation commission said in November 2021 there were 442 unprovoked alligator bites in Florida from 1948 to 2021, averaging six a year. All rights reserved. It was no walk in the park for a South Carolina man who saved his dog from an alligator attack during a morning stroll. You try to maintain distance from the banks, and when you see them out, you admire them from afar. The pond in which the body was found is surrounded by houses on all sides, said Major Viens, noting that it was the second alligator attack in the gated community in five years. Then, the gator bit his leg. "Our hearts go out to the family and community members impacted by this tragic incident," a statement from police said. A person in South Carolina was killed after being dragged into a retention pond by an alligator near Myrtle Beach on Friday, authorities said. Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but will attack in certain instances. The first was an elderly woman in Charleston County in 2016. Over the course of the phone call, which lasted for over eight minutes, the neighbor said she had gone to get a pole to rescue the woman after the attack. Alligator attacks are rare, fatal ones even rarer. Market data provided by Factset. In an extremely rare event, a South Carolina woman was killed in an alligator attack Friday on Kiawah Island, according to the Charleston County Sheriffs Office. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Alligators are found throughout the Southeast and wetlands, with their range stretching as far west as eastern Texas, and as far east as coastal North Carolina, according toThe National Wildlife Federation. It appears she was gardening near a pond in an adult-only . Fatal alligator attacks are rare rare enough that they attract a lot of attention when they happen. "He's so frightened," she told the operator. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? But, theres a caveat. A giant alligator weighing nearly 1,000 pounds was caught in Lake Marion. CLICK HERE. However, this is the second fatal attack in a month. However, the study at the time cited the need for a "uniform reporting system among states" to get more complete information on alligator encounters. The victim was recovered from the pond, and the alligator was removed and euthanized on site. Alligators do not have an instinct to attack humans, he says. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The victim in the May attack in Florida was identified as Sean Thomas McGuinness. Police said the victim, whose identity has not been released yet, was recovered from the pond and the alligator was removed. In an interview on Sunday, Mr. Repak said it was common to watch alligators walk on a road over a pair of retention ponds. This marks the fifth alligator death in South Carolina since 2000, according to the Department of Natural Resources and the sheriff's office. Gator attack:A Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. ST. LUCIE COUNTY Three more alligators have been removed from the Spanish Lakes Fairways community in northern St. Lucie County after an 85-year-old woman died following a Monday alligator . An investigation into the death is continuing, the police said. Once officers arrived on the scene, officials determined that "an alligator had taken hold of a neighbor and retreated into a nearby retention pond," a statement from the Horry County Police Department said. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Experts explain why. The body of an 88-year-old woman who was killed by an alligator was discovered on Monday in a pond in a gated community near Hilton Head Island, S.C., officials said. Alligators typically breed and look for new habitats inthe spring and summertime, meaning there could be an increase in alligator activity. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The Charleston County Sheriffs Office responded to the incident on Salt Cedar Lane, Kiawah Island around 5 p.m. Friday. However, alligators may be more inclined to approach humans if fed by one, which is why it's illegal to do so in many states. This same shark off the coast of the Outer Banks began its tracking in . Theyre not going to chase you down the fairway in these golfing communities., Alligator Kills 88-Year-Old Woman in South Carolina, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/15/us/alligator-attack-south-carolina.html. One person has been killed in a fatal alligator attack in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Such attacks are rare in the United States, typically occurring about once a year, but the latest one on Friday was the second in less than a month. 14 of those attacks occurred in Beaufort County according to SCDNR records. At 2:30 p.m., the department updated its statement to confirm there was no further threat in the area, and that community members may resume normal activities. Witness To Fatal SC Alligator Attack Said Victim Was 4 Feet From Pond And Warned Of Danger, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, 100,000 alligators live in South Carolina, South Carolina Beach Access Battle: Lowcountry Residents Turning On Each Other, SC Coronavirus: Projected Death Toll Skyrockets As Cases Climb, LIVE FEED Murdaugh Murders Trial: Day Twenty-Seven, South Carolina Freedom Caucus Files Lawsuit, Murdaugh Murders Trial: Attorney General Stands And Delivers. That said, South Carolina's Post and Courier reports that the state recorded five deaths resulting from alligator attacks between 2016 and 2022 but none in the previous 16 years. A man was killed on Friday after being dragged into a retention pond by an alligator near Myrtle Beach, S.C., the first such deadly attack in the state since 2020, the authorities said. A man has died after an alligator attack in Myrtle Beach, S.C., June 24, 2022. When officers arrived, they found a large alligator by the edge of a pond near the body of an unidentified woman, police said. In South Carolina, they can be found in the states coastal marshlands, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Deputies in South Carolina shot and killed an alligator that fatally attacked a woman on Friday, authorities said. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Noting that serious injuries caused by alligator attacks are rare in state, the FWC said in a statement that anyone with concerns should call their toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR(866-392-4286). 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. South Carolina has been home to over 100,000 alligators. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common as more humans move to alligator-populated areas. Messages left for the department were not immediately returned on Sunday. Sun City Hilton Head, a residential community for older adults that has many ponds, is about 15 miles west of Hilton Head Island and covers roughly nine square miles. If a person is in the unfortunate situation where an alligator attacks a pet, Mazzotti says its best not to get in the alligators way. KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. A woman killed by an alligator at a South Carolina pond told a friend she wanted to get close to the animal and didnt scream as it attacked her and dragged her into the water, according to a police report. They aren't the only run-ins people have had with the creatures. By Christian Boschult christian.boschult@myhorrynews.com Jul 15, 2022 0 Alligators like this one. He adds: Dont let your dog run free. Coverts friend yelled to not get any closer, but Covert continued off the back steps towards to where the alligator was, the report said. An autopsy Monday found Covert died of drowning, the Charleston County Coroner's Office said. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. In July, a 75-year-old Callawassie Island woman was trimming plants near a community pond when an alligator latched onto her and pulled her into . Alligators tend to be more active at night, Mr. Butfiloski said, and come out around dusk. Then, the gator bit his leg. Alligators only attack when threatened or cornered, but if a human is in water with alligators, it may entice them. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. ". 1 Dead in Fatal Alligator Attack at South Carolina Retention Pond Near Myrtle Beach. The dog survived the attack, per the FWC. The body of an 88-year-old woman was found near a pond in a gated community near Hilton Head, South Carolina, after what authorities suspect was an alligator attack. Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? The Beaufort County Sheriffs Office responded to a 911 call at 11:15 a.m. on Monday from a Sun City Hilton Head resident who reported that a large alligator was guarding a human body. An estimated 5 million wild American alligators live across 10 states in Southeast and beyond - even in the southeastern tip of Oklahoma. There could be more that we arent aware of, SCDNR alligator program director, Jay Butfiloski previously said,. She stated her husband went down and grabbed a shovel and she called 911,the report said. The HCPD and the Horry County Coroner's Office did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment. One officer was able to shoot the animal as it surfaced again, police said. An alligator lays in the grass in Myrtle Beach, S.C., April 29, 2003. Photo: Getty. According to a 2019 University of Florida analysis, venomous injuries largely from contact with hornets, wasps and bees resulted in an average of more than 56 fatalities per year in the United States, compared with about one per year from alligator attacks. Deadly alligator attacks on humans are rare. The officers were called to a pond on Kiawah Island around 5 p.m. and saw. Fatal alligator attacks are rare in the United States. Florida is known to be the home of alligators, and residents have numerous run-ins with the reptiles near their homes, golf courses or roads. Alligators are mostly concentrated in Florida and Louisiana but are present in several other states. Updated on: August 15, 2022 / 7:34 PM All rights reserved. CBS affiliate WCSC-TV reports that the coroner identified the victim as Cynthia . You can induce a gator's gag reflex by jamming objects in the back of its mouth, and when it tries to reposition prey in its mouth, that's your chance to escape. 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