The creature is most abundant in Louisiana and Florida, with each state having a population of over 1 million alligators. The alligator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, was later captured, removed from the pond and euthanized, officials said. The last reported case of a fatal alligator attack in the U.S was in June. In 2020, an alligator killed 58-year-old Cynthia Covert in a Kiawah Island, South Carolina attack, marking the third fatal alligator attack in state history since 2016. You try to maintain distance from the banks, and when you see them out, you admire them from afar. An officer observed the alligator and the victim surface in the water, the report said. Fatal alligator attacks are rare in the United States, typically occurring about once a year, but the latest was the second in less than a month. ABC News' Darren Reynolds contributed to this report. Rattlesnakes:What to know if you're bitten by a rattlesnake, Bears:What should you do if you see a bear? Alligator attacks are rare but not surprising, Major Viens said of the area. Alligators typically breed and look for new habitats inthe spring and summertime, meaning there could be an increase in alligator activity. Legal Statement. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. 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. A woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, police said. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal . A woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, police said. CNN A person was killed by an alligator near Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, according to police. As of August, there were 23 total alligator attacks since 1915, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday was the first in the state since May 2020. When deputies arrived, the alligator kept surfacing with Covert and going under. Photo: Getty. ", RELATED VIDEO: Officials Say Shark Attacked Woman Who Vanished While Snorkeling with Husband, Blast 'Conspiracy Theories'. 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. An 80-year-old woman was killed by two alligators in Englewood, Fla., in July; a man who had been retrieving Frisbees from a lake in Largo, Fla., was killed in May; and in June, a man was killed after being dragged into a retention pond by an alligator in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Officials said there had been 18 alligator-related episodes and five deaths reported in South Carolina since 2000. "I see her," the neighbor said with audible emotion in her voice. Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. 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. According to police, the victim, identified as Sean Thomas McGuinness, 47, was believed to have entered the lake at night. This attack is the fourth reported in Charleston County history, according to SCDNR records. Write to Gina Martinez at gina.martinez@time.com. One person has been killed in a fatal alligator attack in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter:@jordan_mendoza5. Alligators are mostly concentrated in Florida and Louisiana but are present in several other states. Studio, Officials Say Shark Attacked Woman Who Vanished While Snorkeling with Husband, Blast 'Conspiracy Theories', Woman Who Vanished in Shark Attack While Snorkeling with Husband Was 'Following Dreams' on Hawaii Trip, Shocking Video Shows Fla. Man Trapping Alligator into Garbage Bin: 'Somebody's Gotta Step Up', Elderly Florida Woman Killed by 2 Alligators After Falling into a Pond Near Her Home, Fla. Man Attacked by 7-Foot Alligator Outside Motel After Mistaking It For a Dog, 1 Dead in Fatal Alligator Attack at South Carolina Retention Pond Near Myrtle Beach, Florida Deputies Relocate Alligator Found in Garage Near Sheriff's Office: 'Later Gator! ". Alligator Fatally Attacks Man at the Edge of a South Carolina Pond, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/26/us/myrtle-beach-fatal-alligator-attack.html. A 43-year-old man was attackedby an alligatorand treated for a "serious injury in his arm" onJuly 20and a 34-year-old man was bit on his face during a swim in a Florida lake onAug. 4. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common as more humans move to alligator-populated areas. 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 . When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Deadly alligator attacks on humans are rare. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. ', Man Fatally Shot Ex-Girlfriend's Sister After Convincing Her to Pull Over on Road, Then Killed Himself, remembered by loved ones as being a "good friend. Alligators only attack when threatened or cornered, but if a human is in water with alligators, it may entice them. If an alligator attacks, experts say to poke at its eyes and punch and kick it around the head. Alligators are active during spring and summer because when temperatures rise, their metabolism increases and they look for food, Melody Kilborn, a spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told ABC News last month. Alligator Attacks and Kills Florida Woman, 85, Who Was Walking Her Dog, Florida Man Hospitalized After Alligator Bites His Face During Swim Near Tampa, 88-Year-Old S.C. Woman Dead After Being Attacked by Alligator at Retirement Community, 11-Foot Alligator Attacks and Kills Florida Woman, 85, Who Was Walking Her Dog, Florida Alligator Stuck in Pond with Her Mouth Taped Shut Is Rescued and Freed After 2 Months, Fla. Man Hospitalized After Alligator Bites His Face During Swim Near Tampa, Girl, 16, Dies in Australia Shark Attack After Jumping into Water to Swim with Dolphins: 'We Are Devastated', 10-Ft. Alligator Spotted on a Florida Beach, Body Cam Footage of Paul Pelosi's Attack Released, Showing Moment Assailant Lunged at Him with Hammer, Man Helps Rescue 77-Year-Old Woman Attacked by Alligator at Retirement Community: 'He Saved Her', 'We Were in the Middle of Dancing': Witness Describes Horror of Mass Shooting at Calif. First responders were then able to pull the womans body from the water. CLICK HERE. 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. Deputies in South Carolina shot and killed an alligator that fatally attacked a woman on Friday, authorities said. The woman Covert was staying with said she didn't seem herself Friday and walked toward the alligator, which lunged and grabbed her in its mouth when she was about 4 feet away, deputies said. But, theres a caveat. The alligator took hold of a person near the edge of a retention pond on Friday,. There were an average of about 10 alligator bites a year in the 2010s, compared with an average of eight a year in the 1980s. Because theyre cold blooded animals, they regulate their body temperature as best they can based on the environment, he said. "She was walking her little dog, and the gator grabbed the dog," the neighbor added. 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. 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. FLORIDA WOMAN ATTACKED BY ALLIGATORS AT COUNTRY CLUB IDENTIFIED. 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. A Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. There are an estimated 100,000 alligators in South Carolina alone. She stated her husband went down and grabbed a shovel and she called 911,the report said. CLICK HERE. "He's so frightened," she told the operator. In July, an elderly woman waskilled by two alligatorsin a pond near her Florida home. At least four people have been killed in alligator attacks in 2022. 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. The fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday was the first in the state since May 2020. The victim in the May attack in Florida was identified as Sean Thomas McGuinness. In an interview on Sunday, Mr. Repak said it was common to watch alligators walk on a road over a pair of retention ponds. Alligator attacks are rare, and there's an even slimmer chance of being killed by one. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. An autopsy Monday found Covert died of drowning, the Charleston County Coroners Office said. Charleston County deputies said that officers were called to a . The authorities did not release the victims name, age or other circumstances about the attack. In many instances, there are several of factors that contribute to an alligator attack. All rights reserved. The South Carolina woman rescued by her neighbor as she was being attacked by an alligator is the second woman to have been attacked in such a manner on Hilton Head Island in only three years . You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. This is at least the third fatal alligator attack in South Carolina in the past four years. She saw an alligator and was fascinated by it and went to touch it, against her friends warning. Alligator attacks in South Carolina have increased, likely because of human activities. Or an issue youd like to address proactively? Now and then, he will see photos in the local news media of an alligator out and about, he said. When it gets really hot in the summer, a lot of time theyll spend time below the water, where its cooler.. Don't turn and run, expert warns. However, at 5:46 p.m., the HCPD released a statement that the Environmental Services and Criminal Investigations Divisions were working on a death investigation. 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. A man was killed after he was attacked and dragged into a pond in South Carolina by an 11-foot alligator, officials said. By Gina Martinez August 21, 2018 4:16 PM EDT. The woman's body was recovered about two hours later, and as of 4 p.m. local time the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources remained on the scene attempting to locate and remove the alligator from the pond, police said. May is mating season for alligators in South Carolina, which means alligators are more active this time of the year. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Jurors on Wednesday visited the South Carolina estate where prosecutors say disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh shot and killed his wife and son, touring the crime scene before . It appears the victim, Nancy Becker, was gardening near the pond and slipped in. Hilton Head Island residents share the roads with 2,000 - 4,000 alligators - who use an "alligator crossing" to cross busy roads. In 2018, an eight-foot-long . In 1962, Fraser walked alongside an alligator named Albert for a magazine photoshoot that attracted attention from around the world. Experts from the University of Florida say to run in a straight line if an alligator is chasing you. Don't turn and run, expert warns, according toThe National Wildlife Federation. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. First published on August 15, 2022 / 7:30 PM. 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. As of August, there were 23 total alligator attacks since 1915, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Still, attacks, especially fatal ones, are rare. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. The good news for humans: Alligators have a natural fear of humans and usually will retreat when approached, Texas Parks and Wildlife says. 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. Leanne Golino. Magazines, Digital Deputies with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office were notified around 11:15 a.m. about an alligator that looked as if it was "standing guard" beside a . 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. Theyre a part of nature., He called Fridays death a tragic, freak accident.. Before those attacks, South Carolina had never recorded a person killed by an alligator. A man has died after an alligator attack in Myrtle Beach, S.C., June 24, 2022. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is investigating the incident, the latest in a small string of fatal alligator attacks this summer. 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