Covert, of Johns Island, made no sound as the alligator pulled her under, the woman told police. The dog survived the attack, per the FWC. Leanne Golino. A biologist with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and an alligator-removal contractor determined that the animal needed to be humanely euthanized on site, the police said. "Our hearts go out to the family and community members impacted by this tragic incident," a statement from police said. Experts explain why. In South Carolina, they can be found in the states coastal marshlands, according to the Department of Natural Resources. 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 witness told police that her friend, later identified as 58-year-old Cynthia Covert, of Johns Island, was visiting her home Friday afternoon. 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.. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. When deputies arrived, the alligator kept surfacing with Covert and going under. Legal Statement. The victim has not been identified. 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. 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. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! A South Carolina woman was rescued by a neighbor Thursday morning during a violent alligator attack in the state, authorities 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. A Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. According to SCDNR South Carolina has had only three fatal alligator attacks in its recorded history and each occurred within the last four years. Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. Anyone can read what you share. It was no walk in the park for a South Carolina man who saved his dog from an alligator attack during a morning stroll. For reference, you have a better chance of getting attacked by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. As of August, there were 23 total alligator attacks since 1915, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. She saw an alligator and was fascinated by it and went to touch it, against her friends warning. Don't turn and run, expert warns. 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. 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. An alligator lays in the grass in Myrtle Beach, S.C., April 29, 2003. 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. CLICK HERE. Alligator attacks are rare, and there's an even slimmer chance of being killed by one. 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. 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. 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 investigation into the death is continuing, the police said. Alligators are mostly concentrated in Florida and Louisiana but are present in several other states. When we got there thats exactly what we found, said Maj. Angela Viens, a public information officer with the Beaufort County sheriffs office. ABC 15 By Vimal Patel June 26, 2022 A man was killed on Friday after being dragged into a. 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. On Aug. 11, Bruce Savage took his dog, Hanna, for a morning walk near. In 1962, Fraser walked alongside an alligator named Albert for a magazine photoshoot that attracted attention from around the world. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. A person in South Carolina was killed after being dragged into a retention pond by an alligator near Myrtle Beach on Friday, authorities said. But dangerous human-gator interactions are starting to happen more frequently because people are moving deeper into alligators habitat, says University of Florida professor Frank Mazzotti. 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. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal, according to the police report released Monday. Everybody treats them with a healthy respect. Florida had an. 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. 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 . During the call, the neighbor also went to go get the dog. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common as more humans move to alligator-populated areas. Fatal alligator attacks are rare in the United States, typically occurring about once a year, but the latest was the second in less than a month. Police were notified around 11 . The alligator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, was later captured, removed from the pond and euthanized, officials said. 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 . Officials have released a 911 call made after an alligator fatally attacked an 85-year-old woman in Florida earlier this week. 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. Cynthia Covert, 58, died in the attack Friday afternoon on Kiawah Island, Charleston County deputies said. When it gets really hot in the summer, a lot of time theyll spend time below the water, where its cooler.. 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. "Anywhere there is standing water, an alligator might be found," The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement to USA TODAY. Alligator Attacks and Kills Florida Woman, 85, Who Was Walking Her Dog, Florida Man Hospitalized After Alligator Bites His Face During Swim Near Tampa, 88-Year-Old S.C. Woman Dead After Being Attacked by Alligator at Retirement Community, 11-Foot Alligator Attacks and Kills Florida Woman, 85, Who Was Walking Her Dog, Florida Alligator Stuck in Pond with Her Mouth Taped Shut Is Rescued and Freed After 2 Months, Fla. Man Hospitalized After Alligator Bites His Face During Swim Near Tampa, Girl, 16, Dies in Australia Shark Attack After Jumping into Water to Swim with Dolphins: 'We Are Devastated', 10-Ft. Alligator Spotted on a Florida Beach, Body Cam Footage of Paul Pelosi's Attack Released, Showing Moment Assailant Lunged at Him with Hammer, Man Helps Rescue 77-Year-Old Woman Attacked by Alligator at Retirement Community: 'He Saved Her', 'We Were in the Middle of Dancing': Witness Describes Horror of Mass Shooting at Calif. And you know, she's been alone. 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. 14 of those attacks occurred in Beaufort County according to SCDNR records. Before those attacks, South Carolina had never recorded a person killed by an alligator. The fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday was the first in the state since May 2020. 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. Still, attacks, especially fatal ones, are rare. An autopsy Monday found Covert died of drowning, the Charleston County Coroner's Office said. Alligators typically breed and look for new habitats inthe spring and summertime, meaning there could be an increase in alligator activity. Sure, the baby alligator is certainly not a common sight at the popular coffee shop. The woman was walking her dog around a Hilton Head. "She fell down and [it] took her.". 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Charleston County harvested at least 162 alligators between 2017- 2018, while Beaufort County harvested 104 in that time. 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. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said. Gator attack:A Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. 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. Alligator Attacks and Kills Florida Woman, 85, Who Was Walking Her Dog. Fatal alligator attacks are rare in the United States. 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. The HCPD said its death investigation remains underway. "She was walking her little dog, and the gator grabbed the dog," the neighbor added. Alligator attacks are rare, fatal ones even rarer. Photo: Getty. The unnamed victim was found last Friday around 11:45 a.m. near Excalaber Court outside of . Because theyre cold blooded animals, they regulate their body temperature as best they can based on the environment, he said. It appears she was gardening near a pond in an adult-only . From our records, there wasnt an attack from 1915 to 1976, but that could just be because they werent newsworthy back then.. 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