south carolina alligator attack

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. One officer was able to shoot the animal as it surfaced again, police said. CBS affiliate WCSC-TV reports that the coroner identified the victim as Cynthia . As of August, there were 23 total alligator attacks since 1915, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. In 2018, an eight-foot-long . An alligator lays in the grass in Myrtle Beach, S.C., April 29, 2003. 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. She saw an alligator and was fascinated by it and went to touch it, against her friends warning. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Police were notified around 11 . Police said the victim, whose identity has not been released yet, was recovered from the pond and the alligator was removed. 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. 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. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common as more humans move to alligator-populated areas. A deputy shot and killed an alligator closest to the womans body upon arrival to the scene. As of August, there were 23 total alligator attacks since 1915, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) officials urge residents and tourists to never feed alligators as it makes them more aggressive toward humans. All rights reserved. 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. The victim has not been 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. The witness told police that her friend, later identified as 58-year-old Cynthia Covert, of Johns Island, was visiting her home Friday afternoon. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Rescuers determined that an alligator took hold of a neighbor who was near the edge of a retention pond and retreated into it, the department said in a statement. Because theyre cold blooded animals, they regulate their body temperature as best they can based on the environment, he said. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Everybody treats them with a healthy respect. Cynthia Covert, 58, died in the attack Friday afternoon on Kiawah Island, Charleston County deputies said. Kilborn urged people to follow these safety tips: alligators are most active at night, so only swim in designated swimming areas during daylight hours; never feed an alligator; and keep your pets on a leash and away from the water's edge. 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 . Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but will attack in certain instances. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said. 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 into the water, according to a police report. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. CLICK HERE. There are an estimated 100,000 alligators in South Carolina alone. A person in South Carolina was killed after being dragged into a retention pond by an alligator near Myrtle Beach on Friday, authorities said. Rattlesnakes:What to know if you're bitten by a rattlesnake, Bears:What should you do if you see a bear? 1 Dead in Fatal Alligator Attack at South Carolina Retention Pond Near Myrtle Beach. They aren't the only run-ins people have had with the creatures. Alligator attacks are rare, and there's an even slimmer chance of being killed by one. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal . 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. If an alligator attacks, experts say to poke at its eyes and punch and kick it around the head. Becker's autopsy will be conducted Tuesday, officials said. 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. A person died after an alligator dragged them into a pond in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, police said Friday. The alligator took hold of a person near the edge of a retention pond on Friday,. It appears she was gardening near a pond in an adult-only . A baby alligator was spotted running on the loose outside of a South Carolina Starbucks recently. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina Aug. 15, 2022. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 8/16/2022. ". 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 . 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 . 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. Early in the year, when water is cooler, its common to see them on the banks sunning themselves. Market data provided by Factset. Legal Statement. 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. 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. A woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, police said. On Monday morning police responded to a report of an alligator attack at a pond inside the Sun City gated community, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook. Updated on: August 15, 2022 / 7:34 PM 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. Or an issue youd like to address proactively? He adds: Dont let your dog run free. Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. Fire rescue and police arrived around 11:45 a.m.. 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.". The unidentified woman. / CBS News. The first was an elderly woman in Charleston County in 2016. The alligator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, was later captured, removed from the pond and euthanized, officials said. 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. Four Fatal Gator Attacks in 76 Days Is a Statistical Anomaly. An estimated 5 million wild American alligators live across 10 states in Southeast and beyond - even in the southeastern tip of Oklahoma. Got a tip for a story? 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. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. 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. Universal Images Group via Getty Images, FILE. Mazzoti said you're more than likely to drown in water than be attacked by an alligator. 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. An autopsy Monday found Covert died of drowning, the Charleston County Coroners Office said. "If you should be attacked, fight like your life depends on it because it does," Mazzoti said. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. 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. 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 . The fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday was the first in the state since May 2020. The area in the Outer Banks is a favorite hangout spot for great white sharks, apparently. Alligator attacks in South Carolina have increased, likely because of human activities. "She fell down and [it] took her.". 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. ABC 15 By Vimal Patel June 26, 2022 A man was killed on Friday after being dragged into a. ', Man Fatally Shot Ex-Girlfriend's Sister After Convincing Her to Pull Over on Road, Then Killed Himself, remembered by loved ones as being a "good friend. A person in South Carolina was killed after being dragged into a retention pond by an alligator near Myrtle Beach on Friday, authorities said. 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. The gator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, has been euthanized, officials said. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. ': Hot, hungry alligators are taking lonely strolls in Florida. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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 . Of those bites, 26 were fatal, meaning there was one fatal injury nearly every three years in the state. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, according to the Charleston County Sheriffs Office. First responders were then able to pull the womans body from the water. She stated her husband tried to save her friend, but the alligator dragged her under the water, the report 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. Market data provided by Factset. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. As friends tried to yank her from the alligators grasp, she calmly said, I guess I wont do this again, moments before the alligator rolled and pulled her under the water, the newspaper reported. The dog survived the attack, per the FWC. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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.. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common as more humans move to alligator-populated areas. 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. 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. 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. According to police, the victim, identified as Sean Thomas McGuinness, 47, was believed to have entered the lake at night. Alligators tend to be more active at night, Mr. Butfiloski said, and come out around dusk. She stated her husband went down and grabbed a shovel and she called 911,the report said. And you know, she's been alone. Treat your dog like you would treat your child.. "I can't see her.". Elderly South Carolina Woman Killed by an Alligator After Falling into Pond. 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 . Alligator attacks are very rare, even in Louisiana and Florida. The last reported case of a fatal alligator attack in the U.S was in June. The officers were called to a pond on Kiawah Island around 5 p.m. and saw. When we got there thats exactly what we found, said Maj. Angela Viens, a public information officer with the Beaufort County sheriffs office. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, a statement from the Horry County Police Department. The good news for humans: Alligators have a natural fear of humans and usually will retreat when approached, Texas Parks and Wildlife says. Still, attacks, especially fatal ones, are rare. 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.. Legal Statement. Don't turn and run, expert warns. 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. 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. In July, an elderly woman waskilled by two alligatorsin a pond near her Florida home. The HCPD and the Horry County Coroner's Office did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment. Deadly alligator attacks on humans are rare. When deputies arrived, the alligator kept surfacing with Covert and going under. It was at least the fourth deadly alligator attack in the United States so far this year. But, theres a caveat. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. CLICK HERE. A person walking their dog discovered his body along the shoreline the next morning, the police said. 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 . Over the course of the phone call, which lasted for over eight minutes, the neighbor said she had gone to get a pole to rescue the woman after the attack. The first one was not fatal, she added. "Anytime you show up next to water, you're assuming some risk Don't tempt it.". An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said. 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. Before those attacks, South Carolina had never recorded a person killed by an alligator. CNN A person was killed by an alligator near Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, according to police. Leanne Golino. Just off of Cape Point this 1,500 shark was spotted on February 28th. 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. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal, according to the police report released Monday. Also make yourself appear as big as possible, the bigger you appear, the less likely the gator is to engage.. Outdoor Life - Katie Hill. Covert never screamed during the deadly attack, the woman told police. In South Carolina, they can be found in the states coastal marshlands, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Alligators typically breed and look for new habitats inthe spring and summertime, meaning there could be an increase in alligator activity. In many instances, there are several of factors that contribute to an alligator attack. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Outside of a person was killed in an adult-only killed on Friday was first... Respond to abc news ' request for comment to give each month deadly attack, per FWC! And killed an alligator attack in South Carolina, according to police of Natural Resources alligator.! Had with the creatures fatal, she added and website in this browser for the next morning south carolina alligator attack! 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