"It's too late," the neighbor said. Despite what seems to be increasing frequency, Mazzotti says attacks are still remarkably rare, considering the number of alligators in southeastern U.S. The creature is most abundant in Louisiana and Florida, with each state having a population of over 1 million alligators. Mazzoti added alligators "don't perceive humans as either a threat or as food.". In those two years, South Carolina harvested around 300 alligators every year, according to SCDNR records. A person died after an alligator dragged them into a pond in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, police said Friday. 8/16/2022. Alligators tend to be more active at night, Mr. Butfiloski said, and come out around dusk. 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. Don't turn and run, expert warns. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is investigating the incident, the latest in a small string of fatal alligator attacks this summer. All Rights Reserved. We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! The victim was identified as 88-year-old Nancy Becker, ABC News reports. Fatal alligator attacks are rare in the United States. 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. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. On Monday morning police responded to a report of an alligator attack at a pond inside the Sun City . FLORIDA WOMAN ATTACKED BY ALLIGATORS AT COUNTRY CLUB IDENTIFIED. "With how many people there are and how many alligators there are, it's really surprising it doesn't happen more often,"Frank Mazzotti, professor of wildlife ecology and member of the "Croc Docs" at the University of Florida, told USA TODAY. Photo: Getty. 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 . 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. 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 . The 25 Defining Works of the Black Renaissance. She survived the incident. 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A woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, police said. The victim in the May attack in Florida was identified as Sean Thomas McGuinness. The Horry County Fire Rescue Department told ABC News it had no further information as of Monday morning. SCDNR officials have estimated that 100,000 alligators live in South Carolina. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. An alligator lays in the grass in Myrtle Beach, S.C., April 29, 2003. The Associated Press. It was at. Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. A 90-year-old woman walked out of a Charleston nursing home in 2016 andwas killed, while a 45-year-old woman walking her dog wasfatally attacked on Hilton Head Islandin August 2018. Fatal alligator attacks are typically rare in the United States, with the Center for Disease and Prevention reporting that alligators killed only 10 people in the Southeast from 1999 to 2019. ABC News' Darren Reynolds contributed to this report. Gator attack:A Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. Please enter valid email address to continue. The HCPD and the Horry County Coroner's Office did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment. Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said. The death on Friday was the first from an alligator attack in South Carolina since May 2020, when 58-year-old Cynthia Covert was dragged into a pond behind her friends home on Kiawah Island, near Charleston, according to The Post and Courier. The attack occurred near a lagoon on Hilton Head Island on the state's. Then, the gator bit his leg. 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. The unnamed victim was found last Friday around 11:45 a.m. near Excalaber Court outside of . "If you should be attacked, fight like your life depends on it because it does," Mazzoti 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. Leanne Golino. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She kept yelling as Covert crept closer to the gator. CLICK HERE. 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 never screamed during the deadly attack, the woman told police. May 5, 2020 / 6:24 AM / CBS/AP. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common as more humans move to alligator-populated areas. Then, the gator bit his leg. During the call, the neighbor also went to go get the dog. 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. Hilton Head Island residents share the roads with 2,000 - 4,000 alligators - who use an "alligator crossing" to cross busy roads. The witness said Covert was not acting like her normal self. She said she was cleaning up and noticed her friend on the back steps, very close to the alligator. 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 . Covert, of Johns Island, made no sound as the alligator pulled her under, the woman told police. 14 of those attacks occurred in Beaufort County according to SCDNR records. Legal Statement. Cynthia Covert, 58, died in the attack Friday afternoon on Kiawah Island, Charleston County deputies said. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. I couldnt have imagined that it was likely one of these alligators that would later kill a man, he wrote on Friday. Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? There are an estimated 100,000 alligators in South Carolina alone. The Charleston County Sheriffs Office responded to the incident on Salt Cedar Lane, Kiawah Island around 5 p.m. Friday. 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Experts from the University of Florida say to run in a straight line if an alligator is chasing you. The fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday was the first in the state since May 2020. "Our hearts go out to the family and community members impacted by this tragic incident," a statement from police said. Alligator attacks are very rare, even in Louisiana and Florida. 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. Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but will attack in certain instances. It appears the victim, Nancy Becker, was gardening near the pond and slipped in. 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. One officer was able to shoot the animal as it surfaced again, police said. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. "I see her," the neighbor said with audible emotion in her voice. 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. The dog survived the attack, per the FWC. In 1962, Fraser walked alongside an alligator named Albert for a magazine photoshoot that attracted attention from around the world. A man was killed after he was attacked and dragged into a pond in South Carolina by an 11-foot alligator, officials said. 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. When officers arrived, they found a large alligator by the edge of a pond near the body of an unidentified woman, police said. Cynthia Covert, 58, died in the attack Friday afternoon on Kiawah Island, Charleston County deputies said. 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. Fatal alligator attacks are rare rare enough that they attract a lot of attention when they happen. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Covert, of Johns Island, made no sound as the alligator pulled her under, the woman told police. A South Carolina woman was attacked by an eight-foot-long alligator while walking her dog on Thursday morning. By Christian Boschult christian.boschult@myhorrynews.com Jul 15, 2022 0 Alligators like this one. A South Carolina woman was rescued by a neighbor Thursday morning during a violent alligator attack in the state, authorities said. Early in the year, when water is cooler, its common to see them on the banks sunning themselves. It appears she was gardening near a pond in an adult-only . A woman was killed in. 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 unidentified woman. It was at least the fourth deadly alligator attack in the United States so far this year. An officer observed the alligator and the victim surface in the water, the report said. A woman was killed in an alligator attack Monday in South Carolina,officials confirmed,in what has become an unusual year for alligator attacks. 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. 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 South Carolina gator 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. Weve always looked at the alligators as a part of the community, he said. There could be more that we arent aware of, SCDNR alligator program director, Jay Butfiloski previously said,. Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) officials urge residents and tourists to never feed alligators as it makes them more aggressive toward humans. Updated on: August 15, 2022 / 7:34 PM A Florida man was killed by an alligator while retrieving frisbees from a lake in Largo on May 31. Or an issue youd like to address proactively? Also make yourself appear as big as possible, the bigger you appear, the less likely the gator is to engage.. 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. Alligators will often reposition its bite, take advantage of that to get away. Of those bites, 26 were fatal, meaning there was one fatal injury nearly every three years in the state. 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. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina Aug. 15, 2022. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office is investigating an alligator attack that left one person dead in Sun City. One person has been killed in a fatal alligator attack in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Benjamin previously served as Columbia's mayor from 2010 to 2021 and currently sits as the CEO and president of the Benjamin Firm, LLC. "I think she's gone. Officials have released a 911 call made after an alligator fatally attacked an 85-year-old woman in Florida earlier this week. 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