Its unlikely for them to leave the water to come after someone, he said. By Gina Martinez August 21, 2018 4:16 PM EDT. In South Carolina, they can be found in the states coastal marshlands, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Benjamin previously served as Columbia's mayor from 2010 to 2021 and currently sits as the CEO and president of the Benjamin Firm, LLC. 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. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital The sheriff's office received a call around 11:15 a.m. Monday about a large alligator in a gated community by the edge of a pond, guarding a person's body. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. He said the reports come amid an increase in building development and in the number of people moving into areas previously occupied by alligators. It appears the victim, Nancy Becker, was gardening near a pond in Sun City . 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 woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, police said. 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 South Carolina woman was attacked by an eight-foot-long alligator while walking her dog on Thursday morning. On Monday morning police responded to a report of an alligator attack at a pond inside the Sun City . 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 but not surprising, Major Viens said of the area. Before Fridays deadly attack, the most recent incident was a 44-year-old teacher in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina who was killed by an alligator while walking her dog near a lagoon in the gated community of Sea Pines. 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. 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. Just off of Cape Point this 1,500 shark was spotted on February 28th. Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. 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. 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. The HCPD said its death investigation remains underway. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says, you have a better chance of getting attacked by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park, Hot, hungry alligators are taking lonely strolls in Florida, meaning there could be an increase in alligator activity, Alligators have a natural fear of humans and usually will retreat when approached, Texas Parks and Wildlife says, Experts from the University of Florida say, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Write to Gina Martinez at gina.martinez@time.com. From our records, there wasnt an attack from 1915 to 1976, but that could just be because they werent newsworthy back then.. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Rattlesnakes:What to know if you're bitten by a rattlesnake, Bears:What should you do if you see a bear? An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina Aug. 15, 2022. The last fatal alligator attack to occur in South Carolina was in May 2020, when a 58-year-old woman saw an alligator and went to touch it, despite her friend's warnings, according to The Post and Courier. The area in the Outer Banks is a favorite hangout spot for great white sharks, apparently. According to police, the victim, identified as Sean Thomas McGuinness, 47, was believed to have entered the lake at night. 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. The situation . 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. A South Carolina woman was rescued by a neighbor Thursday morning during a violent alligator attack in the state, authorities said. 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. Anyone can read what you share. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. An autopsy Monday found Covert died of drowning, the Charleston County Coroner's Office 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. There could be more that we arent aware of, SCDNR alligator program director, Jay Butfiloski previously said,. The creature is most abundant in Louisiana and Florida, with each state having a population of over 1 million alligators. Fatal alligator attacks are rare rare enough that they attract a lot of attention when they happen. "It's too late," the neighbor said. The woman's husband and another man tried beating the alligator with shovels, but the animal swam deeper, the police report said. While he was unaware of the details of Mondays alligator attack, Mr. Butfiloski said that such attacks typically happen when a person is near the edge of a body of water, and occur more frequently when a person is accompanied by a pet. Photo: Getty. Fatal alligator attacks are rare in the United States. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 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. 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. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) officials urge residents and tourists to never feed alligators as it makes them more aggressive toward humans. She survived the incident. A biologist with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and an alligator-removal contractor determined that the animal needed to be humanely euthanized on site, the police said. Alligator attacks in South Carolina have increased, likely because of human activities. 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. T he death of Cassandra Cline, a 45-year-old . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Jason Repak, who lives in the same community as the victim, snapped a photo of three alligators behind his condominium last month and posted it on social media. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said. All rights reserved. Legal Statement. 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 . This was the first fatal attack in the state by an alligator since May 2020. Theyre a part of nature., He called Fridays death a tragic, freak accident.. 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. Hilton Head Island residents share the roads with 2,000 - 4,000 alligators - who use an "alligator crossing" to cross busy roads. This is the first deadly alligator attack in the state since May 2020, according to authorities. ABC News' Darren Reynolds contributed to this report. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is investigating the incident, the latest in a small string of fatal alligator attacks this summer. Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but will attack in certain instances. The gator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, has been euthanized, officials 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. 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. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal . Nancy Becker, 88, was gardening at her living community when she slipped and fell into a lagoon that was home to an alligator. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. Covert never screamed during the deadly attack, the woman told police. Coverts friend yelled to not get any closer, but Covert continued off the back steps towards to where the alligator was, the report said. 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. Magazines, Digital Got a tip for a story? The victim has not been identified. Weve always looked at the alligators as a part of the community, he said. Leanne Golino. Then, the gator bit his leg. A Florida man was killed by an alligator while retrieving frisbees from a lake in Largo on May 31. The woman found dead in an alligator attack in Sun City Hilton Head on Monday has been identified as an 88-year-old resident of the community, according to the Beaufort County Coroner's Office . Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter:@jordan_mendoza5. Deadly alligator attacks on humans are rare. A deputy shot and killed an alligator closest to the womans body upon arrival to the scene. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Everybody treats them with a healthy respect. 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. A man was killed after he was attacked and dragged into a pond in South Carolina by an 11-foot alligator, officials said. She was a good friend to a lot of people in the park.". On Aug. 11, Bruce Savage took his dog, Hanna, for a morning walk near. The womans husband and another man tried beating the alligator with shovels, but the animal swam deeper, the police report said. Alligator attacks are very rare, even in Louisiana and Florida. 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