Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says, you have a better chance of getting attacked by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park, Hot, hungry alligators are taking lonely strolls in Florida, meaning there could be an increase in alligator activity, Alligators have a natural fear of humans and usually will retreat when approached, Texas Parks and Wildlife says, Experts from the University of Florida say, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Theyre a part of nature., He called Fridays death a tragic, freak accident.. At least four people have been killed in alligator attacks in 2022. Please enter valid email address to continue. The police believe that Mr. McGuinness, 47, had entered the lake in John S. Taylor Park at night. A woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, police said. 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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. You try to maintain distance from the banks, and when you see them out, you admire them from afar. It was at least the fourth deadly alligator attack in the United States so far this year. It appears she was gardening near a pond in an adult-only . On Monday morning police responded to a report of an alligator attack at a pond inside the Sun City . When deputies arrived, the alligator kept surfacing with Covert and going under. ', 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. When it gets really hot in the summer, a lot of time theyll spend time below the water, where its cooler.. We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Covert never screamed during the deadly attack, the woman told police. Florida had an. The Associated Press. 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. Authorities say the woman "died as a result of the incident" and that her body was recovered, according to a statement previously obtained by PEOPLE from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 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. In South Carolina, they can be found in the states coastal marshlands, according to the Department of Natural Resources. 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 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. Just off of Cape Point this 1,500 shark was spotted on February 28th. Last summer, a 68-year-old woman was hospitalized after an alligator attack in Sun City-Hilton Head, the Island Packet repotted. or redistributed. All Rights Reserved. "Anytime you show up next to water, you're assuming some risk Don't tempt it.". 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. Fraser actually marketed the Sea Pines Resort using the allure of alligators. 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During the call, the neighbor also went to go get the dog. By Gina Martinez August 21, 2018 4:16 PM EDT. "I see her," the neighbor said with audible emotion in her voice. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, according to the Charleston County Sheriffs Office. 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. 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 situation . Police said the victim, whose identity has not been released yet, was recovered from the pond and the alligator was removed. A person walking their dog discovered his body along the shoreline the next morning, the police said. Rescuers determined that an alligator took hold of a neighbor who was near the edge of a retention pond and retreated into it, the department said in a statement. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. A Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. 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. 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. 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. One officer was able to shoot the animal as it surfaced again, police said. A person in South Carolina was killed after being dragged into a retention pond by an alligator near Myrtle Beach on Friday, authorities said. 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. A man was killed after he was attacked and dragged into a pond in South Carolina by an 11-foot alligator, officials said. 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. If an alligator attacks, experts say to poke at its eyes and punch and kick it around the head. 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. 'Walkers beware! Got a tip for a story? Legal Statement. Treat your dog like you would treat your child.. 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 witness told police that her friend, later identified as 58-year-old Cynthia Covert, of Johns Island, was visiting her home Friday afternoon. As friends tried to yank her from the alligators grasp, she calmly said, I guess I wont do this again, moments before the alligator rolled and pulled her under the water, the newspaper reported. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? 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. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Then, the gator bit his leg. 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.. There could be more that we arent aware of, SCDNR alligator program director, Jay Butfiloski previously said,. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Four Fatal Gator Attacks in 76 Days Is a Statistical Anomaly. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina Aug. 15, 2022. 1:39 A person in South Carolina was killed by an alligator Friday near a community retention pond outside Myrtle Beach, authorities said. According to police, the victim, identified as Sean Thomas McGuinness, 47, was believed to have entered the lake at night. The Horry County Fire Rescue Department told ABC News it had no further information as of Monday morning. When we got there thats exactly what we found, said Maj. Angela Viens, a public information officer with the Beaufort County sheriffs office. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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 woman's husband and another man tried beating the alligator with shovels, but the animal swam deeper, the police report said. From our records, there wasnt an attack from 1915 to 1976, but that could just be because they werent newsworthy back then.. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. 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. Experts explain why. This attack is the fourth reported in Charleston County history, according to SCDNR records. 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. 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. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) officials urge residents and tourists to never feed alligators as it makes them more aggressive toward humans. 1 Dead in Fatal Alligator Attack at South Carolina Retention Pond Near Myrtle Beach. First responders were then able to pull the womans body from the water. 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. Of those bites, 26 were fatal, meaning there was one fatal injury nearly every three years in the state. Because theyre cold blooded animals, they regulate their body temperature as best they can based on the environment, he said. Shizuka Matsuki, 47, was last seen walking her two dogs in South Florida before her body was found miles away in a lake in Davie, Florida. The officers were called to a pond on Kiawah Island around 5 p.m. and saw. Alligators only attack when threatened or cornered, but if a human is in water with alligators, it may entice them. A person in South Carolina was killed after being dragged into a retention pond by an alligator near Myrtle Beach on Friday, authorities said. Officials have released a 911 call made after an alligator fatally attacked an 85-year-old woman in Florida earlier this week. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal, according to the police report released Monday. By Christian Boschult christian.boschult@myhorrynews.com Jul 15, 2022 0 Alligators like this one. Fatal alligator attacks are rare rare enough that they attract a lot of attention when they happen. "Our hearts go out to the family and community members impacted by this tragic incident," a statement from police said. The woman Covert was staying with said she didn't 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. 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. Still, attacks, especially fatal ones, are rare. Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said. Serge was remembered by loved ones as being a "good friend. The death of Cassandra Cline, a 45-year-old elementary school teacher, who was killed by a 9-foot alligator while protecting her dog on Hilton Head Island Monday made headlines around the world. ". The last reported case of a fatal alligator attack in the U.S was in June. The HCPD said its death investigation remains underway. Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but will attack in certain instances. 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 . Weve always looked at the alligators as a part of the community, he said. "If you should be attacked, fight like your life depends on it because it does," Mazzoti said. This was the first fatal attack in the state by an alligator since May 2020. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Hilton Head Island residents share the roads with 2,000 - 4,000 alligators - who use an "alligator crossing" to cross busy roads. 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 . The Beaufort County Sheriffs Office responded to a 911 call at 11:15 a.m. on Monday from a Sun City Hilton Head resident who reported that a large alligator was guarding a human body. The 25 Defining Works of the Black Renaissance. The unnamed victim was found last Friday around 11:45 a.m. near Excalaber Court outside of . 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. ': Hot, hungry alligators are taking lonely strolls in Florida. The good news for humans: Alligators have a natural fear of humans and usually will retreat when approached, Texas Parks and Wildlife says. It was no walk in the park for a South Carolina man who saved his dog from an alligator attack during a morning stroll. Benjamin previously served as Columbia's mayor from 2010 to 2021 and currently sits as the CEO and president of the Benjamin Firm, LLC. The creature is most abundant in Louisiana and Florida, with each state having a population of over 1 million alligators. "I think she's gone. Alligators tend to be more active at night, Mr. Butfiloski said, and come out around dusk. This marks the fifth alligator death in South Carolina since 2000, according to the Department of Natural Resources and the sheriff's office. Magazines, Digital An autopsy Monday found Covert died of drowning, the Charleston County Coroners Office said. 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. 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. Anyone can read what you share. Sure, the baby alligator is certainly not a common sight at the popular coffee shop. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. An alligator lays in the grass in Myrtle Beach, S.C., April 29, 2003. She was a good friend to a lot of people in the park.". When deputies arrived, the alligator kept surfacing with Covert and going under. CNN A person was killed by an alligator near Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, according to police. 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 baby alligator was spotted running on the loose outside of a South Carolina Starbucks recently. Weeks earlier, Florida police found a deceased 47-year-old man in agator-infested lakemissing three limbs after a likely encounter with alligators. Mazzoti added alligators "don't perceive humans as either a threat or as food.". He adds: Dont let your dog run free. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. A man has died after an alligator attack in Myrtle Beach, S.C., June 24, 2022. The Charleston County Sheriffs Office responded to the incident on Salt Cedar Lane, Kiawah Island around 5 p.m. Friday. Deputies in South Carolina shot and killed an alligator that fatally attacked a woman on Friday, authorities said. "It's too late," the neighbor said. She saw an alligator and was fascinated by it and went to touch it, against her friends warning. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Alligator attacks are rare, and there's an even slimmer chance of being killed by one. The animal latched onto Covert's left leg and began pulling her into. This same shark off the coast of the Outer Banks began its tracking in . Experts from the University of Florida say to run in a straight line if an alligator is chasing you. Alligator attacks are rare, fatal ones even rarer. Anyone can read what you share. Write to Gina Martinez at gina.martinez@time.com. 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