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. The alligator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, was later captured, removed from the pond and euthanized, officials said. Sure, the baby alligator is certainly not a common sight at the popular coffee shop. Or an issue youd like to address proactively? 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. The officers were called to a pond on Kiawah Island around 5 p.m. and saw. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 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. 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. 8/16/2022. 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. FLORIDA WOMAN ATTACKED BY ALLIGATORS AT COUNTRY CLUB IDENTIFIED. You try to maintain distance from the banks, and when you see them out, you admire them from afar. Magazines, Digital "I can't see her.". 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 giant alligator weighing nearly 1,000 pounds was caught in Lake Marion. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said. 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. This is the first deadly alligator attack in the state since May 2020, according to authorities. An estimated 5 million wild American alligators live across 10 states in Southeast and beyond - even in the southeastern tip of Oklahoma. Charleston County deputies said that officers were called to a . Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. ", RELATED VIDEO: Officials Say Shark Attacked Woman Who Vanished While Snorkeling with Husband, Blast 'Conspiracy Theories'. Becker's autopsy will be conducted Tuesday, officials 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. The situation . This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. ', 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The latest was at least the fourth in the United States since May and the second this year in South Carolina. When we got there thats exactly what we found, said Maj. Angela Viens, a public information officer with the Beaufort County sheriffs office. However, this is the second fatal attack in a month. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. For reference, you have a better chance of getting attacked by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. Don't turn and run, expert warns, according toThe National Wildlife Federation. According to police, the victim, identified as Sean Thomas McGuinness, 47, was believed to have entered the lake at night. Rattlesnakes:What to know if you're bitten by a rattlesnake, Bears:What should you do if you see a bear? A-Z Animals reports that a 1,500-pound great white shark is off the coast of the Outer Banks in North Carolina. A man was killed after he was attacked and dragged into a pond in South Carolina by an 11-foot alligator, officials said. 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. On Monday morning police responded to a report of an alligator attack at a pond inside the Sun City . 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 . The animal latched onto Covert's left leg and began pulling her into. . 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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.". She stated her husband went down and grabbed a shovel and she called 911,the report said. Messages left for the department were not immediately returned on Sunday. People building homes where alligators live have caused the increase in attacks, Mazzotti, a wildlife expert with the University of Floridas Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, tells TIME. May 5, 2020 / 6:24 AM / CBS/AP. My prayers and heart go out to the family as my arms wrap tighter around my kids and dogs near these ponds.. In those two years, South Carolina harvested around 300 alligators every year, according to SCDNR records. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common as more humans move to alligator-populated areas. As of August, there were 23 total alligator attacks since 1915, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. 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. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Just off of Cape Point this 1,500 shark was spotted on February 28th. Cynthia Covert, 58, died in the attack Friday afternoon on Kiawah Island, Charleston County deputies said. 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.. Studio, Officials Say Shark Attacked Woman Who Vanished While Snorkeling with Husband, Blast 'Conspiracy Theories', Woman Who Vanished in Shark Attack While Snorkeling with Husband Was 'Following Dreams' on Hawaii Trip, Shocking Video Shows Fla. Man Trapping Alligator into Garbage Bin: 'Somebody's Gotta Step Up', Elderly Florida Woman Killed by 2 Alligators After Falling into a Pond Near Her Home, Fla. Man Attacked by 7-Foot Alligator Outside Motel After Mistaking It For a Dog, 1 Dead in Fatal Alligator Attack at South Carolina Retention Pond Near Myrtle Beach, Florida Deputies Relocate Alligator Found in Garage Near Sheriff's Office: 'Later Gator! After the attack, the FWC said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that the alligator was captured and killed by a contracted nuisance alligator trapper. Her death has been. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? But fatal gator attacks are rare. Anyone can read what you share. 1:39 A person in South Carolina was killed by an alligator Friday near a community retention pond outside Myrtle Beach, authorities said. In South Carolina, they can be found in the states coastal marshlands, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Responders found the gator "guarding" Becker, officials said. 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. 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. Officials have released a 911 call made after an alligator fatally attacked an 85-year-old woman in Florida earlier this week. 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. 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. The Florida conservation commission said in November 2021 there were 442 unprovoked alligator bites in Florida from 1948 to 2021, averaging six a year. Universal Images Group via Getty Images, FILE. When it gets really hot in the summer, a lot of time theyll spend time below the water, where its cooler.. Alligator attacks are very rare, even in Louisiana and Florida. Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. The victim was recovered from the pond, and the alligator was removed and euthanized on site. In 1962, Fraser walked alongside an alligator named Albert for a magazine photoshoot that attracted attention from around the world. or redistributed. A Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. 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. 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. 'Walkers beware! At 2:30 p.m., the department updated its statement to confirm there was no further threat in the area, and that community members may resume normal activities. 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. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office is investigating an alligator attack that left one person dead in Sun City. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. 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. A woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, police said. Please enter valid email address to continue. Police were notified around 11 . Associate Editor, Human Interest - PEOPLE. The unnamed victim was found last Friday around 11:45 a.m. near Excalaber Court outside of . At least four people have been killed in alligator attacks in 2022. All rights reserved. Alligators are mostly concentrated in Florida and Louisiana but are present in several other states. Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said. That said, South Carolina's Post and Courier reports that the state recorded five deaths resulting from alligator attacks between 2016 and 2022 but none in the previous 16 years. KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. A woman killed by an alligator at a South Carolina pond told a friend she wanted to get close to the animal and didnt scream as it attacked her and dragged her into the water, according to a police report. We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The victim was identified as 88-year-old Nancy Becker, ABC News reports. Benjamin previously served as Columbia's mayor from 2010 to 2021 and currently sits as the CEO and president of the Benjamin Firm, LLC. 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. KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) Authorities say deputies in South Carolina shot and killed an alligator that fatally attacked a woman. Florida had an. "She fell down and [it] took her.". Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. 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 . An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said. He said the reports come amid an increase in building development and in the number of people moving into areas previously occupied by alligators. The witness told police that her friend, later identified as 58-year-old Cynthia Covert, of Johns Island, was visiting her home Friday afternoon. Got a tip for a story? This was the first fatal attack in the state by an alligator since May 2020. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. One person has been killed in a fatal alligator attack in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. After repeatedly saying there was still no sight of the woman in the water, the neighbor then saw her body resurface. 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. Four Fatal Gator Attacks in 76 Days Is a Statistical Anomaly. "It's too late," the neighbor said. Updated on: August 15, 2022 / 7:34 PM Prior to that attack, an unidentified victim died after analligatordragged them into a pond in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 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. Alligator attacks are rare, fatal ones even rarer. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 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. Tuesday, officials said my arms wrap tighter around my kids and dogs near these..! Beaufort County Sheriff & # x27 ; s left leg and began pulling her into / AM! 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