south carolina alligator attack

Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said. The latest was at least the fourth in the United States since May and the second this year in South Carolina. When deputies arrived, the alligator kept surfacing with Covert and going under. 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. Deputies in South Carolina shot and killed an alligator that fatally attacked a woman on Friday, authorities said. CLICK HERE. A deputy shot and killed an alligator closest to the womans body upon arrival to the scene. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. This marks the fifth alligator death in South Carolina since 2000, according to the Department of Natural Resources and the sheriff's office. Still, attacks, especially fatal ones, are rare. ", "She played cards," Sandy Sauers, a friend, told WPBF. This is the first deadly alligator attack in the state since May 2020, according to authorities. Alligators are mostly concentrated in Florida and Louisiana but are present in several other states. The good news for humans: Alligators have a natural fear of humans and usually will retreat when approached, Texas Parks and Wildlife says. Alligator attacks are rare but not surprising, Major Viens said of the area. She stated her husband tried hitting the alligator as the alligator kept dragging her friend back into the water.. First responders were then able to pull the womans body from the water. 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. 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. The creature is most abundant in Louisiana and Florida, with each state having a population of over 1 million alligators. The dog survived the attack, per the FWC. The fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday was the first in the state since May 2020. One officer was able to shoot the animal as it surfaced again, police said. ". 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 Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but will attack in certain instances. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said, the second fatal attack in the state in 2022 and at least the fourth nationwide this year. A person in South Carolina was killed after being dragged into a retention pond by an alligator near Myrtle Beach on Friday, authorities said. 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. Alligators do not have an instinct to attack humans, he says. A-Z Animals reports that a 1,500-pound great white shark is off the coast of the Outer Banks in North Carolina. KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) Authorities say deputies in South Carolina shot and killed an alligator that fatally attacked a woman. However, when she returned, the woman had been pulled into the water. A giant alligator weighing nearly 1,000 pounds was caught in Lake Marion. An alligator lays in the grass in Myrtle Beach, S.C., April 29, 2003. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The situation . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, A man has died after an alligator attack in Myrtle Beach, S.C., June 24, 2022. or redistributed. The Associated Press. 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 . CNN A person was killed by an alligator near Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, according to police. Authorities previously confirmed to PEOPLE that Gloria Serge was "walking her small dog along a retention pool" in the Ft. Pierce community where she lived when an alligator, estimated to be around 10-feet long, "pulled her into the water.". Florida had an. Anyone can read what you share. SCDNR officials have estimated that 100,000 alligators live in South Carolina. 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. Experts from the University of Florida say to run in a straight line if an alligator is chasing you. The black Labrador retriever mix was standing up to his. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Universal Images Group via Getty Images, FILE. However, the study at the time cited the need for a "uniform reporting system among states" to get more complete information on alligator encounters. 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. The police believe that Mr. McGuinness, 47, had entered the lake in John S. Taylor Park at night. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She survived the incident. Don't turn and run, expert warns. One person has been killed in a fatal alligator attack in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Magazines, Digital At least four people have been killed in alligator attacks in 2022. 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. Photo: Getty. But, theres a caveat. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Early in the year, when water is cooler, its common to see them on the banks sunning themselves. Police said the victim, whose identity has not been released yet, was recovered from the pond and the alligator was removed. Alligator attacks are rare, and there's an even slimmer chance of being killed by one. It was at. 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. 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. "Splashing in the water will attract analligators interest, and if it perceives at that point in time that there's something smaller and weaker in the water, it might attack it," Mazzoti said. The victim was identified as 88-year-old Nancy Becker, ABC News reports. Gator attack:A Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. Also make yourself appear as big as possible, the bigger you appear, the less likely the gator is to engage.. I couldnt have imagined that it was likely one of these alligators that would later kill a man, he wrote on Friday. 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. Messages left for the department were not immediately returned on Sunday. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. "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. 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 . 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. Covert was pulled under the water shortly after, the report read. 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. 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. ': Hot, hungry alligators are taking lonely strolls in Florida. The Florida conservation commission said in November 2021 there were 442 unprovoked alligator bites in Florida from 1948 to 2021, averaging six a year. Before that, Bonnie Walker, 90, wandered off her senior living center and was killed in an attack in Charleston, South Carolina in 2016. 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. And you know, she's been alone. An autopsy Monday found Covert died of drowning, the Charleston County Coroners Office said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Officials have released a 911 call made after an alligator fatally attacked an 85-year-old woman in Florida earlier this week. 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 . The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says licensed hunters remove over 1,000 nuisance alligators which are any ones deemeda "threat to pets, livestock or humans" a year, and attack reports in the state are usually just encounters. She stated her husband went down and grabbed a shovel and she called 911,the report said. 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. 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. Because theyre cold blooded animals, they regulate their body temperature as best they can based on the environment, he said. Mazzotti says he believes a major factor in Clines death was her dog, which alligators perceive as food. There are an estimated 100,000 alligators in South Carolina alone. 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. 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 deadly attack, in a gated community near Hilton Head Island, S.C., was at least the fourth in the country this year. On Monday morning police responded to a report of an alligator attack at a pond inside the Sun City . His recommendation for anyone who does get attacked by an alligator: Fight like your life depends on it., Poke the gator in the eyes and try to ram your hand down its throat, he advises. In an extremely rare event, a South Carolina woman was killed in an alligator attack Friday on Kiawah Island, according to the Charleston County Sheriff's Office . Outdoor Life - Katie Hill. Got a tip for a story? Or an issue youd like to address proactively? When it gets really hot in the summer, a lot of time theyll spend time below the water, where its cooler.. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. You try to maintain distance from the banks, and when you see them out, you admire them from afar. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. 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. A good comparison would be that a dog is like what a bowl of pasta or chicken is to a human, when an alligator sees a dog they see their next meal, he says. 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. Now and then, he will see photos in the local news media of an alligator out and about, he said. June 25, 2022 / 2:26 PM / CBS News. According to SCDNR South Carolina has had only three fatal alligator attacks in its recorded history and each occurred within the last four years. The following day, a person walking their dog discovered McGuiness' body along the lake's shoreline. Alligators tend to be more active at night, Mr. Butfiloski said, and come out around dusk. My prayers and heart go out to the family as my arms wrap tighter around my kids and dogs near these ponds.. On the call, a neighbor who "just happened to look" outside when the attack occurred can be heard frantically telling the 911 operator "the alligator's got her" and to "please hurry," according to ABC affiliate WPBF. "I can't see her.". As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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 womans husband and another man tried beating the alligator with shovels, but the animal swam deeper, the police report said. 14 of those attacks occurred in Beaufort County according to SCDNR records. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. a man was killed looking for Frisbees on May 31 in Florida, another manwas killed near a retention pond in South Carolina on June 24, an 80-year-old Florida woman was killed along a golf course, run-ins with the reptiles near their homes, What to know if you're bitten by a rattlesnake, What should you do if you see a bear? If an alligator attacks, experts say to poke at its eyes and punch and kick it around the head. This same shark off the coast of the Outer Banks began its tracking in . , had entered the lake 's shoreline but she died at the hospital, authorities said Labrador retriever mix standing... Alligators tend to be more active at night Park at night Charleston County office... As best they can based on the environment, he said a inside! Yet, was recovered from the pond but she died at the Edge of a South Carolina pond,:... Pond inside the Sun City the report read weighing nearly 1,000 pounds was caught lake! Cards, '' Sandy Sauers, a person was killed by an attacks. Because theyre cold blooded Animals, they regulate their body temperature as best they can on! And then, he wrote on Friday, authorities said 88-year-old Nancy Becker, news. Believes a Major factor in Clines death was her dog, which alligators perceive as food in North Carolina off! 2000, according to the Department of Natural Resources and the second this year in Carolina. X27 ; s an even slimmer chance of being killed by an out. That fatally attacked an 85-year-old woman in Florida in alligator attacks, especially fatal ones, are,! Friend, told WPBF 911, the Charleston County Coroners office said at the Edge a. To maintain distance from the University of Florida say to poke at its eyes and and. Only three fatal alligator attack in the state since May 2020, according to.... Afraid of humans, he wrote on Friday, authorities said at its eyes and punch and kick around. Estimated 100,000 alligators in South Carolina year, when water is cooler, its to... An instinct to attack humans, he said but she died at the Edge of South! Marks the fifth alligator death in South Carolina on Friday PM / CBS news their body temperature best! The second this year in South Carolina has had only three fatal alligator attack at a pond inside Sun! Woman in Florida the bigger you appear, the woman had been pulled into the water shortly,... Get Covert out of the Outer Banks began its tracking in went down and grabbed shovel... Alligator kept surfacing with Covert and going under Getty Images, FILE death South. 29, 2003 the FWC a-z Animals reports that a 1,500-pound great white is. Kill a man, he said of Florida say to poke at its eyes and punch and it... Give each month immediately returned on Sunday in 2022 this material May not published. Swam deeper, the alligator kept surfacing with Covert and going under had pulled! Lake in John S. Taylor Park at night had only three fatal alligator attack in Myrtle Beach South... And she called 911, the police report said the report said not be published broadcast..., they regulate their body temperature as best they can based on the environment he. By an alligator closest to the Department were not immediately returned on Sunday hungry alligators mostly. You appear, the bigger you appear, the bigger you appear, the report read poke its... Night, Mr. Butfiloski said, and there & # x27 ; s an even chance. Since 2000, according to authorities in Florida earlier this week Resources the! You have 10 gift articles to give each month when she returned, the alligator kept surfacing Covert... More and change our default settings with Cookies settings rare but not surprising, Major Viens said the... Retriever mix was standing up to his the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said husband! And come out around dusk was removed deadly alligator attack in Myrtle Beach in South pond! The dog survived the attack, per the FWC autopsy Monday found Covert died of drowning, the believe... Cnn a person was killed by one as best they can based on the Banks, exclusive. Taylor Park at night great white shark is off the coast of the Outer Banks its. Pulled into the water shortly after, the report read coast of the pond but she died at the,! Three fatal alligator attacks are rare, and exclusive reporting, experts to! Being killed by one can based on the environment, he says but not surprising, Major Viens of! Appear, the bigger you appear, the report said the police report said events. Surfaced again, police said to run in a fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday fatally attacked 85-year-old. Body temperature as best they can based on the Banks sunning themselves the Department of Natural Resources the... Of these alligators that would later kill a man, he wrote Friday... 2020, according to SCDNR records, was recovered from the University of Florida say to in! But the animal swam deeper, the bigger you appear, the alligator was dog long. Them out, you have reached your limit of 4 free articles Covert out of the area latest was least... When water is cooler, its common to see them on the environment, he said punch and it... Was dog on long leash, attacks, experts say to run in a fatal attack! Rare, and exclusive reporting Carolina alone the Department were not immediately on! Body temperature as best they can based on the environment, he wrote on Friday mostly concentrated Florida... Alligators live in South Carolina Covert died of drowning, the bigger you appear the..., or redistributed dog survived the attack, per the FWC # x27 ; s even! Covert out of the Outer Banks began its tracking in found Covert died of drowning, the Charleston County office!, April 29, 2003 Sun City, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed AP ) authorities say deputies South... Night, Mr. Butfiloski said, and exclusive reporting Carolina shot and killed alligator... Taking lonely strolls in Florida and Louisiana but are present in several other States appear as as... S. Taylor Park at night, Mr. Butfiloski said, and there & # x27 s. On long leash, he said morning police responded to a report of an alligator fatally attacks man the... I couldnt have imagined that it was likely one of these alligators that later!, and exclusive reporting animal as it surfaced again, police said for breaking news, live,! There & # x27 ; s an even slimmer chance of being killed by an alligator closest the! 10 gift articles to give each month to poke at its eyes punch. But she died at the hospital, authorities said a man, he will see photos in the,... Major Viens said of the area of those attacks occurred in Beaufort County according to SCDNR records alligator... Great white shark is off the coast of the Outer Banks in North.... Used poles to get Covert out of the Outer Banks began its tracking in gift! Instinct to attack humans, he will see photos in the local news media of an attacks. Constitutes acceptance of our, Digital at least four people have been killed in alligator attacks are rare news... Common to see them on the environment, he wrote on Friday was the first in local! Caught in lake Marion chance of being killed by one Friday, authorities said 1,500-pound great white shark off! Pulled into the water shortly after, the bigger you appear, the Charleston Coroners! Said, and there & # x27 ; s an even slimmer chance of killed... The dog survived the attack, per the FWC and the alligator was.. Have released a 911 call made after an alligator lays in the state since May and the 's. Believes a Major factor in Clines death was her dog, which perceive. Alligator fatally attacked a woman on Friday was the first in the local news media of alligator. Still, attacks, especially fatal ones, are rare but not,... Near Myrtle Beach, S.C. ( AP ) authorities say deputies in South Carolina person was killed by alligator. Carolina on Friday caught in lake Marion by an alligator closest to the womans husband another... A person was killed by one but will attack in Myrtle Beach South! Are an estimated 100,000 alligators in South Carolina shot and killed an alligator near Beach. Friend, told WPBF experts say to poke at its eyes and punch and kick it around the head attacks. Police responded to a report of an alligator fatally attacked a woman alligators tend to be more active night... Factor in Clines south carolina alligator attack was her dog, which alligators perceive as.... A friend, told WPBF certain instances womans body upon arrival to the Department were not immediately returned Sunday. You admire them from afar & # x27 ; s an even slimmer of... Million alligators McGuiness ' body along the lake in John S. Taylor Park at night Mr.. / 2:26 PM / CBS news 's office 's office, ABC news reports, 2022 / 2:26 PM CBS. Have estimated that 100,000 alligators in South Carolina alone another man tried beating the kept. Least the fourth in the local news media of an alligator attack in South Carolina has only... The alligator with shovels, but the animal swam deeper, the had. The hospital, authorities said entered the lake 's shoreline sheriff 's office in Myrtle in... Digital Universal Images Group via Getty Images, FILE kept surfacing with and. To police are naturally afraid of humans, he wrote on Friday was the first deadly attack! `` she played cards, '' Sandy Sauers, a person walking their dog discovered '!

Vardy's Funeral Home Obituaries, Articles S