He adds: Dont let your dog run free. The unnamed victim was found last Friday around 11:45 a.m. near Excalaber Court outside of . The deadly attack, in a gated community near Hilton Head Island, S.C., was at least the fourth in the country this year. 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. On Aug. 11, Bruce Savage took his dog, Hanna, for a morning walk near. Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said. The dog survived the attack, per the FWC. It was the fourthdeath from alligator attacks this year after a man was killed looking for Frisbees on May 31 in Florida,another manwas killed near a retention pond in South Carolina on June 24and an 80-year-old Florida woman was killed along a golf course. An 80-year-old woman was killed by two alligators in Englewood, Fla., in July; a man who had been retrieving Frisbees from a lake in Largo, Fla., was killed in May; and in June, a man was killed after being dragged into a retention pond by an alligator in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Officials said there had been 18 alligator-related episodes and five deaths reported in South Carolina since 2000. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital There are an estimated 100,000 alligators in South Carolina alone. 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. "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. 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. Everybody treats them with a healthy respect. The giant reptile was captured and euthanized on site. 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. Mazzoti added alligators "don't perceive humans as either a threat or as food.". 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.. "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. Mazzotti says he believes a major factor in Clines death was her dog, which alligators perceive as food. 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. All rights reserved. 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. The following day, a person walking their dog discovered McGuiness' body along the lake's shoreline. Messages left for the department were not immediately returned on Sunday. By Christian Boschult christian.boschult@myhorrynews.com Jul 15, 2022 0 Alligators like this one. 8/16/2022. Despite what seems to be increasing frequency, Mazzotti says attacks are still remarkably rare, considering the number of alligators in southeastern U.S. 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 . 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. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. CNN A person was killed by an alligator near Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, according to police. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office is investigating an alligator attack that left one person dead in Sun City. Universal Images Group via Getty Images, FILE. Police said the victim, whose identity has not been released yet, was recovered from the pond and the alligator was removed. The unidentified woman. 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 . Alligators do not have an instinct to attack humans, he says. Cynthia Covert, 58, died in the attack Friday afternoon on Kiawah Island, Charleston County deputies said. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal, according to the police report released Monday. A-Z Animals reports that a 1,500-pound great white shark is off the coast of the Outer Banks in North Carolina. However, this is the second fatal attack in a month. This marks the fifth alligator death in South Carolina since 2000, according to the Department of Natural Resources and the sheriff's office. Now and then, he will see photos in the local news media of an alligator out and about, he said. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. 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. 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. 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. The area in the Outer Banks is a favorite hangout spot for great white sharks, apparently. Covert, of Johns Island, made no sound as the alligator pulled her under, the woman told police. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Market data provided by Factset. While mating season brings an increase in their movement around May and June, alligator movement this time of year tends to be among waterways. The first one was not fatal, she added. Alligators only attack when threatened or cornered, but if a human is in water with alligators, it may entice them. The woman was walking her dog around a Hilton Head. A deputy shot and killed an alligator closest to the womans body upon arrival to the scene. "Anytime you show up next to water, you're assuming some risk Don't tempt it.". The Charleston County Sheriffs Office responded to the incident on Salt Cedar Lane, Kiawah Island around 5 p.m. Friday. 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. Responders found the gator "guarding" Becker, officials said. Photo: Getty. 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. Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Hilton Head Island residents share the roads with 2,000 - 4,000 alligators - who use an "alligator crossing" to cross busy roads. Gator attack:A Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. Charleston County deputies said that officers were called to a . The attack occurred near a lagoon on Hilton Head Island on the state's. One person has been killed in a fatal alligator attack in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities 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. 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. 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 Aug. 15, 2022. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is investigating the incident, the latest in a small string of fatal alligator attacks this summer. The good news for humans: Alligators have a natural fear of humans and usually will retreat when approached, Texas Parks and Wildlife says. 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. 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. 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. Weve always looked at the alligators as a part of the community, he said. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Alligators are mostly concentrated in Florida and Louisiana but are present in several other states. 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. The woman's husband and another man tried beating the alligator with shovels, but the animal swam deeper, the police report said. A woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, police said. A person walking their dog discovered his body along the shoreline the next morning, the police said. It was at. SCDNR officials have estimated that 100,000 alligators live in South Carolina. When deputies arrived, the alligator kept surfacing with Covert and going under. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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 witness told police that her friend, later identified as 58-year-old Cynthia Covert, of Johns Island, was visiting her home Friday afternoon. "I see her," the neighbor said with audible emotion in her voice. June 25, 2022 / 2:26 PM / CBS News. He said the reports come amid an increase in building development and in the number of people moving into areas previously occupied by alligators. Legal Statement. CLICK HERE. When officers arrived, they found a large alligator by the edge of a pond near the body of an unidentified woman, police said. 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