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 Florida commission says the chances of a Florida resident being seriously injured in an unprovoked alligator attack are in one in 3.1 million. Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said. The deadly attack, in a gated community near Hilton Head Island, S.C., was at least the fourth in the country this year. It was no walk in the park for a South Carolina man who saved his dog from an alligator attack during a morning stroll. The Florida conservation commission said in November 2021 there were 442 unprovoked alligator bites in Florida from 1948 to 2021, averaging six a year. Alligator attacks are rare but not surprising, Major Viens said of the area. 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. Alligators will often reposition its bite, take advantage of that to get away. It appears the victim, Nancy Becker, was gardening near the pond and slipped in. Of those bites, 26 were fatal, meaning there was one fatal injury nearly every three years in the state. Treat your dog like you would treat your child.. Alligator attacks in South Carolina have increased, likely because of human activities. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. 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. Police said the victim, whose identity has not been released yet, was recovered from the pond and the alligator was removed. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. 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. May is mating season for alligators in South Carolina, which means alligators are more active this time of the year. Also make yourself appear as big as possible, the bigger you appear, the less likely the gator is to engage.. "Splashing in the water will attract analligators interest, and if it perceives at that point in time that there's something smaller and weaker in the water, it might attack it," Mazzoti said. An officer observed the alligator and the victim surface in the water, the report said. Got a tip for a story? Universal Images Group via Getty Images, FILE. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. ': Hot, hungry alligators are taking lonely strolls in Florida. Legal Statement. ', 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. He adds: Dont let your dog run free. 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. Associate Editor, Human Interest - PEOPLE. "Our prayers go out to the loved ones of the victim and the Spanish Lakes' residents who knew the victim and witnessed the attack," Sheriff Ken Mascara said in a statement shared on social media. 14 of those attacks occurred in Beaufort County according to SCDNR records. The victim has not been identified. 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. She kept yelling as Covert crept closer to the gator. As of August, there were 23 total alligator attacks since 1915, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. The HCPD said its death investigation remains underway. The creature is most abundant in Louisiana and Florida, with each state having a population of over 1 million alligators. Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? Mazzotti says he believes a major factor in Clines death was her dog, which alligators perceive as food. 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 . 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. After repeatedly saying there was still no sight of the woman in the water, the neighbor then saw her body resurface. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common as more humans move to alligator-populated areas. The woman's body was recovered about two hours later, and as of 4 p.m. local time the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources remained on the scene attempting to locate and remove the alligator from the pond, police said. In 1962, Fraser walked alongside an alligator named Albert for a magazine photoshoot that attracted attention from around the world. The victim in the May attack in Florida was identified as Sean Thomas McGuinness. A woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, police said. "Anytime you show up next to water, you're assuming some risk Don't tempt it.". When we got there thats exactly what we found, said Maj. Angela Viens, a public information officer with the Beaufort County sheriffs office. Benjamin previously served as Columbia's mayor from 2010 to 2021 and currently sits as the CEO and president of the Benjamin Firm, LLC. According to SCDNR South Carolina has had only three fatal alligator attacks in its recorded history and each occurred within the last four years. 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.. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? A person died after an alligator dragged them into a pond in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, police said Friday. 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 . A giant alligator weighing nearly 1,000 pounds was caught in Lake Marion. Alligators typically breed and look for new habitats inthe spring and summertime, meaning there could be an increase in alligator activity. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 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. Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Alligator attacks are very rare, even in Louisiana and Florida. "If you should be attacked, fight like your life depends on it because it does," Mazzoti said. Write to Gina Martinez at gina.martinez@time.com. 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. Market data provided by Factset. 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. "And then her husband, he was in charge with bocce years ago, and he passed away. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. This same shark off the coast of the Outer Banks began its tracking in . Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? "Anywhere there is standing water, an alligator might be found," The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement to USA TODAY. 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. Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter:@jordan_mendoza5. The gator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, has been euthanized, officials said. An estimated 5 million wild American alligators live across 10 states in Southeast and beyond - even in the southeastern tip of Oklahoma. First responders were then able to pull the womans body from the water. 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. The womans husband and another man tried beating the alligator with shovels, but the animal swam deeper, the police report 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. 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. Cynthia Covert, 58, died in the attack Friday afternoon on Kiawah Island, Charleston County deputies said. Theyre a part of nature., He called Fridays death a tragic, freak accident.. 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. "It's too late," the neighbor said. Its unlikely for them to leave the water to come after someone, he said. Charleston County harvested at least 162 alligators between 2017- 2018, while Beaufort County harvested 104 in that time. 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. Fatal alligator attacks are rare in the United States. Deputies in South Carolina shot and killed an alligator that fatally attacked a woman on Friday, authorities 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. 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 . a man was killed looking for Frisbees on May 31 in Florida, another manwas killed near a retention pond in South Carolina on June 24, an 80-year-old Florida woman was killed along a golf course, run-ins with the reptiles near their homes, What to know if you're bitten by a rattlesnake, What should you do if you see a bear? May 5, 2020 / 6:24 AM / CBS/AP. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal . This attack is the fourth reported in Charleston County history, according to SCDNR records. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. I couldnt have imagined that it was likely one of these alligators that would later kill a man, he wrote on Friday. 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