south carolina alligator attack

Everybody treats them with a healthy respect. Hilton Head Island residents share the roads with 2,000 - 4,000 alligators - who use an "alligator crossing" to cross busy roads. Magazines, Digital While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common as more humans move to alligator-populated areas. 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. 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. She stated her husband went down and grabbed a shovel and she called 911,the report said. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. 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. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. When nuisance trappers go into an area with gators theyll often play a recording of a dog barking and the gators will come and investigate.. The latest was at least the fourth in the United States since May and the second this year in South Carolina. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. This marks the fifth alligator death in South Carolina since 2000, according to the Department of Natural Resources and the sheriff's office. However, when she returned, the woman had been pulled into the water. 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. The gator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, has been euthanized, officials said. She survived the incident. Deputies in South Carolina shot and killed an alligator that fatally attacked a woman on Friday, authorities said. 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. For reference, you have a better chance of getting attacked by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. She stated her husband tried to save her friend, but the alligator dragged her under the water, the report said. Aug. 15, 2022 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. 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. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal, according to the police report released Monday. Its unlikely for them to leave the water to come after someone, he said. The unnamed victim was found last Friday around 11:45 a.m. near Excalaber Court outside of . Stephen Benjamin, the former mayor of Columbia, S.C., will be the new senior adviser and director of the Office of Public Engagement, replacing Keisha Lance Bottoms, the White House announced on Monday. The victim in the May attack in Florida was identified as Sean Thomas McGuinness. The officers were called to a pond on Kiawah Island around 5 p.m. and saw. 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 . Alligators only attack when threatened or cornered, but if a human is in water with alligators, it may entice them. 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. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said. The fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday was the first in the state since May 2020. "He's so frightened," she told the operator. 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 woman's husband and another man tried beating the alligator with shovels, but the animal swam deeper, the police report said. Updated on: August 15, 2022 / 7:34 PM An alligator lays in the grass in Myrtle Beach, S.C., April 29, 2003. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. By Gina Martinez August 21, 2018 4:16 PM EDT. When deputies arrived, the alligator kept surfacing with Covert and going under. Sure, the baby alligator is certainly not a common sight at the popular coffee shop. Write to Gina Martinez at gina.martinez@time.com. Officials have released a 911 call made after an alligator fatally attacked an 85-year-old woman in Florida earlier this week. A woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, police said. Mazzoti said you're more than likely to drown in water than be attacked by an alligator. Jay Butfiloski, the furbearer and alligator program coordinator with the states Natural Resources Department, said that it had seen an increased frequency over the past couple years in alligator attacks but its still a pretty rare event.. Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. 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 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. ABC 15 By Vimal Patel June 26, 2022 A man was killed on Friday after being dragged into a. 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. The Associated Press. There could be more that we arent aware of, SCDNR alligator program director, Jay Butfiloski previously said,. 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. Shizuka Matsuki, 47, was last seen walking her two dogs in South Florida before her body was found miles away in a lake in Davie, Florida. If an alligator attacks, experts say to poke at its eyes and punch and kick it around the head. A woman was killed in an alligator attack Monday in South Carolina,officials confirmed,in what has become an unusual year for alligator attacks. But fatal gator attacks are rare. A person died after an alligator dragged them into a pond in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, police said Friday. You try to maintain distance from the banks, and when you see them out, you admire them from afar. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. They aren't the only run-ins people have had with the creatures. She stated her husband tried hitting the alligator as the alligator kept dragging her friend back into the water.. 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 . Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. 14 of those attacks occurred in Beaufort County according to SCDNR records. ". 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. Weve always looked at the alligators as a part of the community, he said. When officers arrived, they found a large alligator by the edge of a pond near the body of an unidentified woman, police said. 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 . 2023 TIME USA, LLC. The witness told police that her friend, later identified as 58-year-old Cynthia Covert, of Johns Island, was visiting her home Friday afternoon. 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. Newly acquired data from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources suggests there has been an increase in the number of alligator encounters in the Palmetto State . An officer observed the alligator and the victim surface in the water, the report said. This is the first deadly alligator attack in the state since May 2020, according to authorities. 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. The last reported case of a fatal alligator attack in the U.S was in June. 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. The following day, a person walking their dog discovered McGuiness' body along the lake's shoreline. The woman was walking her dog around a Hilton Head. T he death of Cassandra Cline, a 45-year-old . However, the study at the time cited the need for a "uniform reporting system among states" to get more complete information on alligator encounters. In an interview on Sunday, Mr. Repak said it was common to watch alligators walk on a road over a pair of retention ponds. 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. Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said. CLICK HERE. "Anytime you show up next to water, you're assuming some risk Don't tempt it.". Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. On Monday morning police responded to a report of an alligator attack at a pond inside the Sun City . Coverts friend yelled to not get any closer, but Covert continued off the back steps towards to where the alligator was, the report said. The fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday was the first in the state since May 2020. The Associated Press contributed to this report. One person has been killed in a fatal alligator attack in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 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 . All rights reserved. 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 Beaufort County Sheriff's Office is investigating an alligator attack that left one person dead in Sun City. The attack occurred near a lagoon on Hilton Head Island on the state's. Alligators typically breed and look for new habitats inthe spring and summertime, meaning there could be an increase in alligator activity. June 25, 2022 / 2:26 PM / CBS News. 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. Alligator attacks are very rare, even in Louisiana and Florida. On Monday morning police responded to a report of an alligator attack at a pond inside the. ", RELATED VIDEO: Officials Say Shark Attacked Woman Who Vanished While Snorkeling with Husband, Blast 'Conspiracy Theories'. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. One officer was able to shoot the animal as it surfaced again, police said. Experts explain why. Or an issue youd like to address proactively? 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 . An autopsy Monday found Covert died of drowning, the Charleston County Coroners Office said. While mating season brings an increase in their movement around May and June, alligator movement this time of year tends to be among waterways. Fatal alligator attacks are rare in the United States. A Florida man was killed by an alligator while retrieving frisbees from a lake in Largo on May 31. 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. Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said. CBS affiliate WCSC-TV reports that the coroner identified the victim as Cynthia . 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. A woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, police said. By Christian Boschult christian.boschult@myhorrynews.com Jul 15, 2022 0 Alligators like this one. 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. In South Carolina, they can be found in the states coastal marshlands, according to the Department of Natural Resources. 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. Still, attacks, especially fatal ones, are rare. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. A woman in South Carolina was killed by an alligator Monday, the state's second deadly attack this year, authorities said.The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office and other emergency services were at . When it gets really hot in the summer, a lot of time theyll spend time below the water, where its cooler.. 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. One officer was able to shoot the animal as it surfaced again, police said. CLICK HERE. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) officials urge residents and tourists to never feed alligators as it makes them more aggressive toward humans. Alligators do not have an instinct to attack humans, he says. 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 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. The good news for humans: Alligators have a natural fear of humans and usually will retreat when approached, Texas Parks and Wildlife says. May is mating season for alligators in South Carolina, which means alligators are more active this time of the year. 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. Covert, of Johns Island, made no sound as the alligator pulled her under, the woman told police. 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. There could be more that we arent aware of, SCDNR alligator program director, Jay Butfiloski previously said.! U.S was in June for them to leave the water, the report said unnamed was... Has been killed in an apparent alligator attack at a pond inside the better chance of getting by! Them into a pond inside the to alligator-populated areas tried to save her friend, but if a is! And kick it around the head tried beating the alligator and the sheriff 's Office Monday, said! 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