She saw an alligator and was fascinated by it and went to touch it, against her friends warning. 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. Jurors on Wednesday visited the South Carolina estate where prosecutors say disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh shot and killed his wife and son, touring the crime scene before . Newly acquired data from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources suggests there has been an increase in the number of alligator encounters in the Palmetto State . Please enter valid email address to continue. Leanne Golino. 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. It appears she was gardening near a pond in an adult-only . "I can't see her.". A deputy shot and killed an alligator closest to the womans body upon arrival to the scene. Developer Charles Fraser founded both the Sea Pines and Kiawah Island resort communities, which were built on the concept that communities could be developed while the wildlife preserved. The woman's husband and another man tried beating the alligator with shovels, but the animal swam deeper, the police report said. ': Hot, hungry alligators are taking lonely strolls in Florida. But fatal gator attacks are rare. 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. The police believe that Mr. McGuinness, 47, had entered the lake in John S. Taylor Park at night. The creature is most abundant in Louisiana and Florida, with each state having a population of over 1 million alligators. Weve always looked at the alligators as a part of the community, he said. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. 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. Its unlikely for them to leave the water to come after someone, he said. "Our hearts go out to the family and community members impacted by this tragic incident," a statement from police said. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. 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. 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. Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but will attack in certain instances. This is the first deadly alligator attack in the state since May 2020, according to authorities. 1 Dead in Fatal Alligator Attack at South Carolina Retention Pond Near Myrtle Beach. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common as more humans move to alligator-populated areas. However, when she returned, the woman had been pulled into the water. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. A woman was killed in. Associate Editor, Human Interest - PEOPLE. Her death has been. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common. Mazzoti said you're more than likely to drown in water than be attacked by an alligator. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 'Walkers beware! 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. Just off of Cape Point this 1,500 shark was spotted on February 28th. 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. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. CBS affiliate WCSC-TV reports that the coroner identified the victim as Cynthia . 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. He said the reports come amid an increase in building development and in the number of people moving into areas previously occupied by alligators. When officers arrived, they found a large alligator by the edge of a pond near the body of an unidentified woman, police 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. Prior to that attack, an unidentified victim died after analligatordragged them into a pond in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said. She stated her husband tried to save her friend, but the alligator dragged her under the water, the report said. The victim was recovered from the pond, and the alligator was removed and euthanized on site. When deputies arrived, the alligator kept surfacing with Covert and going under. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. The alligator took hold of a person near the edge of a retention pond on Friday,. 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. "Anytime you show up next to water, you're assuming some risk Don't tempt it.". This same shark off the coast of the Outer Banks began its tracking in . Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter:@jordan_mendoza5. It was no walk in the park for a South Carolina man who saved his dog from an alligator attack during a morning stroll. 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? "Anywhere there is standing water, an alligator might be found," The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement to USA TODAY. Please enter valid email address to continue. Alligator attacks in South Carolina have increased, likely because of human activities. A-Z Animals reports that a 1,500-pound great white shark is off the coast of the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Of those bites, 26 were fatal, meaning there was one fatal injury nearly every three years in the state. CLICK HERE. When Covert was about four feet from the edge of the water, the alligator attacked and dragged her into the water, according to the incident report. Anyone can read what you share. 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. However, it certainly gets a lot of attention while it's hanging out near the entrance of the South Carolina business. 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. 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. In 1962, Fraser walked alongside an alligator named Albert for a magazine photoshoot that attracted attention from around the world. 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. It was at. Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. Cynthia Covert, 58, died in the attack Friday afternoon on Kiawah Island, Charleston County deputies said. A South Carolina woman was rescued by a neighbor Thursday morning during a violent alligator attack in the state, authorities said. ABC 15 By Vimal Patel June 26, 2022 A man was killed on Friday after being dragged into a. Mazzotti says he believes a major factor in Clines death was her dog, which alligators perceive as food. Alligators will often reposition its bite, take advantage of that to get away. Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? On Aug. 11, Bruce Savage took his dog, Hanna, for a morning walk near. The giant reptile was captured and euthanized on site. He adds: Dont let your dog run free. Alligator attacks are rare, and there's an even slimmer chance of being killed by one. 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. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Alligator attacks are rare, fatal ones even rarer. T he death of Cassandra Cline, a 45-year-old . A 43-year-old man was attackedby an alligatorand treated for a "serious injury in his arm" onJuly 20and a 34-year-old man was bit on his face during a swim in a Florida lake onAug. 4. She was a good friend to a lot of people in the park.". Write to Gina Martinez at gina.martinez@time.com. The situation . A Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. Experts from the University of Florida say to run in a straight line if an alligator is chasing you. There could be more that we arent aware of, SCDNR alligator program director, Jay Butfiloski previously 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. Messages left for the department were not immediately returned on Sunday. Alligator attacks are very rare, even in Louisiana and Florida. The good news for humans: Alligators have a natural fear of humans and usually will retreat when approached, Texas Parks and Wildlife says. 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. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital A baby alligator was spotted running on the loose outside of a South Carolina Starbucks recently. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says licensed hunters remove over 1,000 nuisance alligators which are any ones deemeda "threat to pets, livestock or humans" a year, and attack reports in the state are usually just encounters. In those two years, South Carolina harvested around 300 alligators every year, according to SCDNR records. Don't turn and run, expert warns, according toThe National Wildlife Federation. "I see her," the neighbor said with audible emotion in her voice. Charleston County deputies said that officers were called to a . 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. KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) Authorities say deputies in South Carolina shot and killed an alligator that fatally attacked a woman. 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. Police were notified around 11 . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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 . Rattlesnakes:What to know if you're bitten by a rattlesnake, Bears:What should you do if you see a bear? On Monday morning police responded to a report of an alligator attack at a pond inside the Sun City . Being killed by one pond, and there & # x27 ; s an even slimmer of. Sold to fix patients ' jaws. `` to that attack, an unidentified victim died after analligatordragged into. After someone, he said out to the womans body upon arrival the! Police believe that Mr. McGuinness, 47, had entered the lake in John S. 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