or redistributed. Alligator attacks are rare but not surprising, Major Viens said of the area. The victim was identified as 88-year-old Nancy Becker, ABC News reports. Alligators typically breed and look for new habitats inthe spring and summertime, meaning there could be an increase in alligator activity. 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. 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. SCDNR officials have estimated that 100,000 alligators live in South Carolina. Cynthia Covert, 58, died in the attack Friday afternoon on Kiawah Island, Charleston County deputies said. Alligator attacks are very rare, even in Louisiana and Florida. Cline was walking her dog alongside a lagoon adjacent to the Sea Pines Resort golf course when she was attacked about 9:30 a.m. Sea Pine, a 5,200-square-foot gated community, was built in 1957 and is located at the southern tip of Hilton Head Island. She stated her husband tried to save her friend, but the alligator dragged her under the water, the report said. ", RELATED VIDEO: Officials Say Shark Attacked Woman Who Vanished While Snorkeling with Husband, Blast 'Conspiracy Theories'. Mazzotti says he believes a major factor in Clines death was her dog, which alligators perceive as food. In Fridays killing, the authorities responded around 11:45 a.m. to a water-rescue call, the Horry County Police Department said in a statement. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. "Anywhere there is standing water, an alligator might be found," The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement to USA TODAY. The situation . This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Cynthia Covert, 58, died in the attack Friday afternoon on Kiawah Island, Charleston County deputies said. 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. Rescuers determined that an alligator took hold of a neighbor who was near the edge of a retention pond and retreated into it, the department said in a statement. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. by Mandy Matney May 4, 2020. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter:@jordan_mendoza5. 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. According to the report, Covert's friend yelled at her not to get closer, but she continued off the back steps towards where the alligator was located, CBS affiliate WCSC reported. The death on Friday was the first from an alligator attack in South Carolina since May 2020, when 58-year-old Cynthia Covert was dragged into a pond behind her friends home on Kiawah Island, near Charleston, according to The Post and Courier. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal . Please enter valid email address to continue. The first one was not fatal, she added. South Carolina has been home to over 100,000 alligators. The gator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, has been euthanized, officials 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. The attack occurred near a lagoon on Hilton Head Island on the state's. "I think she's gone. When Covert was about four feet from the edge of the water, the alligator attacked and dragged her into the water, according to the incident report. A Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. A biologist and a contracted alligator removal service from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources determined the alligator should be humanely euthanized on site, according to police. Experts from the University of Florida say to run in a straight line if an alligator is chasing you. The 25 Defining Works of the Black Renaissance. A South Carolina woman was rescued by a neighbor Thursday morning during a violent alligator attack in the state, authorities said. 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. Mazzotti says people need to be aware of their surrounding when they are near water or in areas where they have been alligator sightings. "Our prayers go out to the loved ones of the victim and the Spanish Lakes' residents who knew the victim and witnessed the attack," Sheriff Ken Mascara said in a statement shared on social media. 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 apparent alligator attack, Woman killed in apparent South Carolina alligator 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. 'Walkers beware! Treat your dog like you would treat your child.. ABC News' Darren Reynolds contributed to this report. A giant alligator weighing nearly 1,000 pounds was caught in Lake Marion. 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. It was the fourthdeath from alligator attacks this year after a man was killed looking for Frisbees on May 31 in Florida,another manwas killed near a retention pond in South Carolina on June 24and an 80-year-old Florida woman was killed along a golf course. During the call, the neighbor also went to go get the dog. When deputies arrived, the alligator kept surfacing with Covert and going under. The victim has not been identified. Initially, the Horry County Fire Rescue was dispatched at 11:54 a.m. to a water-related call in the area of Excalibur Court in Myrtle Beach, a statement from the department said. Deadly alligator attacks on humans are rare. Updated on: August 15, 2022 / 7:34 PM On Monday morning police responded to a report of an alligator attack at a pond inside the Sun City gated community, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook. ABC 15 By Vimal Patel June 26, 2022 A man was killed on Friday after being dragged into a. Watch Live: Closing arguments begin in double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, Intel review says "very unlikely" foreign adversary behind "Havana Syndrome", Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Watch Live: Garland testifies amid ongoing special counsel investigations, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. When deputies arrived, the alligator kept surfacing with Covert and going under. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Anyone can read what you share. An estimated 5 million wild American alligators live across 10 states in Southeast and beyond - even in the southeastern tip of Oklahoma. The following day, a person walking their dog discovered McGuiness' body along the lake's shoreline. 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. The body of a man who had been retrieving Frisbees from a lake in Largo, Fla., which serves as a habitat for alligators, was found on May 31. The fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday was the first in the state since May 2020. The giant reptile was captured and euthanized on site. In those two years, South Carolina harvested around 300 alligators every year, according to SCDNR records. Florida had an. Write to Gina Martinez at [email protected]. A man was killed after he was attacked and dragged into a pond in South Carolina by an 11-foot alligator, officials said. By Christian Boschult [email protected] Jul 15, 2022 0 Alligators like this one. I couldnt have imagined that it was likely one of these alligators that would later kill a man, he wrote on Friday. 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. Photo: Getty. 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. Covert never screamed during the deadly attack, the woman told police. Four Fatal Gator Attacks in 76 Days Is a Statistical Anomaly. The latest was at least the fourth in the United States since May and the second this year in South Carolina. FLORIDA WOMAN ATTACKED BY ALLIGATORS AT COUNTRY CLUB IDENTIFIED. It was no walk in the park for a South Carolina man who saved his dog from an alligator attack during a morning stroll. A woman killed by an alligator at a South Carolina pond told a friend she wanted to get close to the animal and didn't scream as it attacked her and dragged her into the water, according to a police report. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Of those bites, 26 were fatal, meaning there was one fatal injury nearly every three years in the state. Leanne Golino. Nancy Becker, 88, was gardening at her living community when she slipped and fell into a lagoon that was home to an alligator. May is mating season for alligators in South Carolina, which means alligators are more active this time of the year. 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. Her death has been. This marks the fifth alligator death in South Carolina since 2000, according to the Department of Natural Resources and the sheriff's office. Authorities say the woman "died as a result of the incident" and that her body was recovered, according to a statement previously obtained by PEOPLE from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 14 of those attacks occurred in Beaufort County according to SCDNR records. Prior to that attack, an unidentified victim died after analligatordragged them into a pond in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The victim in the May attack in Florida was identified as Sean Thomas McGuinness. 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. Moments before the attack, the womans friend warned her to not get closer to the alligator, according to a sheriffs office incident report obtained by FITSNews, but reported first by the Post and Courier. Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said. 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. Charleston County harvested at least 162 alligators between 2017- 2018, while Beaufort County harvested 104 in that time. This attack is the fourth reported in Charleston County history, according to SCDNR records. The animal latched onto Covert's left leg and began pulling her into. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. In an interview on Sunday, Mr. Repak said it was common to watch alligators walk on a road over a pair of retention ponds. As of August, there were 23 total alligator attacks since 1915, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The police believe that Mr. McGuinness, 47, had entered the lake in John S. Taylor Park at night. According to SCDNR South Carolina has had only three fatal alligator attacks in its recorded history and each occurred within the last four years. "If you should be attacked, fight like your life depends on it because it does," Mazzoti said. However, it certainly gets a lot of attention while it's hanging out near the entrance of the South Carolina business. Developer Charles Fraser founded both the Sea Pines and Kiawah Island resort communities, which were built on the concept that communities could be developed while the wildlife preserved. Outdoor Life - Katie Hill. She stated her husband tried hitting the alligator as the alligator kept dragging her friend back into the water.. While mating season brings an increase in their movement around May and June, alligator movement this time of year tends to be among waterways. Covert was pulled under the water shortly after, the report read. Mazzoti said you're more than likely to drown in water than be attacked by an alligator. Fatal alligator attacks are rare rare enough that they attract a lot of attention when they happen. From our records, there wasnt an attack from 1915 to 1976, but that could just be because they werent newsworthy back then.. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. Early in the year, when water is cooler, its common to see them on the banks sunning themselves. Or an issue youd like to address proactively? All Rights Reserved. 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. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Also make yourself appear as big as possible, the bigger you appear, the less likely the gator is to engage.. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common. The alligator took hold of a person near the edge of a retention pond on Friday,. The fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday was the first in the state since May 2020. Nationally, between 1948 and August 2004, 376 injuries and 15 deaths as a result of alligator encounters were reported in the U.S., which means one reported death every three to four years,according to a 2004 studyin the peer-revieWilderness & Environmental Medicine journal. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Cynthia Covert, 58, drowned Friday after an alligator repeatedly pulled her into a pond on Kiawah Island, according to a report from the Charleston County Sheriff's Office. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Benjamin previously served as Columbia's mayor from 2010 to 2021 and currently sits as the CEO and president of the Benjamin Firm, LLC. The last reported case of a fatal alligator attack in the U.S was in June. A baby alligator was spotted running on the loose outside of a South Carolina Starbucks recently. May 5, 2020 / 6:24 AM / CBS/AP. Because theyre cold blooded animals, they regulate their body temperature as best they can based on the environment, he said. The area in the Outer Banks is a favorite hangout spot for great white sharks, apparently. Becker's autopsy will be conducted Tuesday, officials said. The huge reptile "took a hold of a neighbor who was near the edge of a retention pond and retreated" back into the water in a golf and yacht club community in Myrtle . 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. 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. But dangerous human-gator interactions are starting to happen more frequently because people are moving deeper into alligators habitat, says University of Florida professor Frank Mazzotti. However, when she returned, the woman had been pulled into the water. Gator attack:A Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina Aug. 15, 2022. Last week, an alligator attacked and ate a 40-pound dog that was playing fetch with his owner in Florida's J.R. Alford Greenway Trail. Alligators only attack when threatened or cornered, but if a human is in water with alligators, it may entice them. An autopsy Monday found Covert died of drowning, the Charleston County Coroners Office said. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Watch Live: Closing arguments begin in double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, Intel review says "very unlikely" foreign adversary behind "Havana Syndrome", Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Watch Live: Garland testifies amid ongoing special counsel investigations, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? The victim, identified as Cynthia Covert, was dragged into a pond behind her friend's home on Kiawah Island, near Charleston, and said calmly, "I guess I won't do this again," as her friend tried to pull her away from the alligator. Becker 's autopsy will be conducted Tuesday, officials said glitch to report go get the.. `` I think she 's gone for new habitats inthe spring and,! Email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment Thomas McGuinness common... Them on the state since may 2020 possible, the neighbor also went to get. 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