This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, It appears she was gardening near a pond in an adult-only . She survived the incident. 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. She was a good friend to a lot of people in the park.". The unidentified woman. Hilton Head Island residents share the roads with 2,000 - 4,000 alligators - who use an "alligator crossing" to cross busy roads. 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. Then, the gator bit his leg. A person in South Carolina was killed after being dragged into a retention pond by an alligator near Myrtle Beach on Friday, authorities said. 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. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. CLICK HERE. The fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday was the first in the state since May 2020. Alligators are mostly concentrated in Florida and Louisiana but are present in several other states. As of August, there were 23 total alligator attacks since 1915, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Charleston County harvested at least 162 alligators between 2017- 2018, while Beaufort County harvested 104 in that time. Fire rescue and police arrived around 11:45 a.m.. 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. ABC News' Darren Reynolds contributed to this report. First published on August 15, 2022 / 7:30 PM. For reference, you have a better chance of getting attacked by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. The authorities did not release the victims name, age or other circumstances about the attack. This is the first deadly alligator attack in the state since May 2020, according to authorities. 1:39 A person in South Carolina was killed by an alligator Friday near a community retention pond outside Myrtle Beach, authorities said. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital It was no walk in the park for a South Carolina man who saved his dog from an alligator attack during a morning stroll. South Carolina has been home to over 100,000 alligators. 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. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 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. "And then her husband, he was in charge with bocce years ago, and he passed away. This is at least the third fatal alligator attack in South Carolina in the past four years. Fatal alligator attacks are rare in the United States. Alligator attacks, like one after which a woman was found dead near Hilton Head Island, S.C., are rare but not surprising, said Maj. Angela Viens of the Beaufort County sheriffs office. Prior to that attack, an unidentified victim died after analligatordragged them into a pond in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. However, this is the second fatal attack in a month. by Mandy Matney May 4, 2020. A baby alligator was spotted running on the loose outside of a South Carolina Starbucks recently. Serge was remembered by loved ones as being a "good friend. A deputy shot and killed an alligator closest to the womans body upon arrival to the scene. 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. On Monday morning police responded to a report of an alligator attack at a pond inside the Sun City . Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. At least four people have been killed in alligator attacks in 2022. The victim was identified as 88-year-old Nancy Becker, ABC News reports. 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. Outdoor Life - Katie Hill. May is mating season for alligators in South Carolina, which means alligators are more active this time of the year. One officer was able to shoot the animal as it surfaced again, police said. 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 material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The womans husband and another man tried beating the alligator with shovels, but the animal swam deeper, the police report said. "It's too late," the neighbor said. Covert, of Johns Island, made no sound as the alligator pulled her under, the woman told police. The woman was walking her dog around a Hilton Head. A South Carolina woman was attacked by an eight-foot-long alligator while walking her dog on Thursday morning. 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. 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. Messages left for the department were not immediately returned on Sunday. Officials identified the woman as Nancy A. Becker, a resident of Sun City Hilton Head, who they believe was gardening near the pond and slipped into the water, where she was attacked by the alligator. Experts explain why. Alligators will often reposition its bite, take advantage of that to get away. 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 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 . 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. The woman Covert was staying with said she didnt 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. Alligator attacks in South Carolina have increased, likely because of human activities. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, according to the Charleston County Sheriffs Office. Texas Parks and Wildlifesays a safe distance away from an alligator is at least 30 feet, and while extremely rare for them to chase humans, they can run up to 35 mph for a short period of time. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal . A man has died after an alligator attack in Myrtle Beach, S.C., June 24, 2022. On Monday morning police responded to a report of an alligator attack at a pond inside the. A woman was killed in an alligator attack Monday in South Carolina,officials confirmed,in what has become an unusual year for alligator attacks. A woman who was attacked by an alligator Thursday on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina was rescued by a neighbor who hit the animal with a shovel, authorities said. It appears the victim, Nancy Becker, was gardening near a pond in Sun City . Just off of Cape Point this 1,500 shark was spotted on February 28th. She kept yelling as Covert crept closer to the gator. 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 unnamed victim was found last Friday around 11:45 a.m. near Excalaber Court outside of . The last reported case of a fatal alligator attack in the U.S was in June. 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. The first was an elderly woman in Charleston County in 2016. 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. FLORIDA WOMAN ATTACKED BY ALLIGATORS AT COUNTRY CLUB IDENTIFIED. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina Aug. 15, 2022. Florida, which has the most human-alligator interactions, has recorded 24 deadly alligator attacks since 1948 but 14 of those have occurred in the last 20 years, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data. 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. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common as more humans move to alligator-populated areas. When it gets really hot in the summer, a lot of time theyll spend time below the water, where its cooler.. Responders found the gator "guarding" Becker, officials said. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In 1962, Fraser walked alongside an alligator named Albert for a magazine photoshoot that attracted attention from around the world. 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. The animal latched onto Covert's left leg and began pulling her into. 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. Its also very important for humans to keep their distance from these creatures, experts stress. Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? The Associated Press. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, a statement from the Horry County Police Department. Mazzotti says he believes a major factor in Clines death was her dog, which alligators perceive as food. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. CLICK HERE. The deadly attack, in a gated community near Hilton Head Island, S.C., was at least the fourth in the country this year. 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 . / CBS News. "If you should be attacked, fight like your life depends on it because it does," Mazzoti said. June 25, 2022 / 2:26 PM / CBS News. Alligator attacks are rare, and there's an even slimmer chance of being killed by one. Sure, the baby alligator is certainly not a common sight at the popular coffee shop. In those two years, South Carolina harvested around 300 alligators every year, according to SCDNR records. 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. 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. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal, according to the police report released Monday. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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 . A woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, police said. Then, the gator bit his leg. The 10-foot alligator, estimated at 400-500 pounds, then attacked Covert, who officials said was 5 feet tall and 100 pounds. Rattlesnakes:What to know if you're bitten by a rattlesnake, Bears:What should you do if you see a bear? After the attack, the FWC said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that the alligator was captured and killed by a contracted nuisance alligator trapper. 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. But, theres a caveat. However, when she returned, the woman had been pulled into the water. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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