"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. 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. They aren't the only run-ins people have had with the creatures. One officer was able to shoot the animal as it surfaced again, police said. Covert was pulled under the water shortly after, the report read. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. An estimated 5 million wild American alligators live across 10 states in Southeast and beyond - even in the southeastern tip of Oklahoma. 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. Alligators will often reposition its bite, take advantage of that to get away. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says licensed hunters remove over 1,000 nuisance alligators which are any ones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. 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. 1 Dead in Fatal Alligator Attack at South Carolina Retention Pond Near Myrtle Beach. "Anywhere there is standing water, an alligator might be found," The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement to USA TODAY. Mazzotti says people need to be aware of their surrounding when they are near water or in areas where they have been alligator sightings. 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. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. The HCPD and the Horry County Coroner's Office did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment. Because theyre cold blooded animals, they regulate their body temperature as best they can based on the environment, he said. Universal Images Group via Getty Images, FILE. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common as more humans move to alligator-populated areas. Deputies in South Carolina shot and killed an alligator that fatally attacked a woman on Friday, authorities said. The woman's husband and another man tried beating the alligator with shovels, but the animal swam deeper, the police report said. Alligators are active during spring and summer because when temperatures rise, their metabolism increases and they look for food, Melody Kilborn, a spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told ABC News last month. She stated her husband went down and grabbed a shovel and she called 911,the report said. 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. Magazines, Digital Police were notified around 11 . The attack occurred near a lagoon on Hilton Head Island on the state's. Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but will attack in certain instances. 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 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. Covert, of Johns Island, made no sound as the alligator pulled her under, the woman told police. The HCPD said its death investigation remains underway. Serge was remembered by loved ones as being a "good friend. / CBS News. Still, attacks, especially fatal ones, are rare. The fatal alligator attack in South Carolina on Friday was the first in the state since May 2020. 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. An 88-year-old woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said. The alligator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, was later captured, removed from the pond and euthanized, officials said. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "She fell down and [it] took her.". 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. Alligator attacks are rare, and there's an even slimmer chance of being killed by one. She survived the incident. My prayers and heart go out to the family as my arms wrap tighter around my kids and dogs near these ponds.. A woman who was attacked by an alligator Thursday on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina was rescued by a neighbor who hit the animal with a shovel, authorities said. Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said. When it gets really hot in the summer, a lot of time theyll spend time below the water, where its cooler.. The alligator took hold of a person near the edge of a retention pond on Friday,. 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.. An alligator lays in the grass in Myrtle Beach, S.C., April 29, 2003. 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. The situation . One person has been killed in a fatal alligator attack in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A giant alligator weighing nearly 1,000 pounds was caught in Lake Marion. But fatal gator attacks are rare. 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. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, a statement from the Horry County Police Department. Rattlesnakes:What to know if you're bitten by a rattlesnake, Bears:What should you do if you see a bear? The victim was recovered from the pond, and the alligator was removed and euthanized on site. 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. Alligators only attack when threatened or cornered, but if a human is in water with alligators, it may entice them. While alligator attacks are rare in South Carolina, they are becoming more common. A South Carolina woman was attacked by an eight-foot-long alligator while walking her dog on Thursday morning. ". Moments before the attack, the womans friend warned her to not get closer to the alligator, according to a sheriffs office incident report obtained by FITSNews, but reported first by the Post and Courier. May is mating season for alligators in South Carolina, which means alligators are more active this time of the year. The dog survived the attack, per the FWC. Alligator Attacks and Kills Florida Woman, 85, Who Was Walking Her Dog. The gator, a 9-foot, 8-inch male, has been euthanized, officials said. Anyone can read what you share. The Florida conservation commission said in November 2021 there were 442 unprovoked alligator bites in Florida from 1948 to 2021, averaging six a year. 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. The victim in the May attack in Florida was identified as Sean Thomas McGuinness. Associate Editor, Human Interest - PEOPLE. Firefighters used poles to get Covert out of the pond but she died at the hospital, authorities said. However, at 5:46 p.m., the HCPD released a statement that the Environmental Services and Criminal Investigations Divisions were working on a death investigation. The police believe that Mr. McGuinness, 47, had entered the lake in John S. Taylor Park at night. Noting that serious injuries caused by alligator attacks are rare in state, the FWC said in a statement that anyone with concerns should call their toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR(866-392-4286). Deadly alligator attacks on humans are rare. And you know, she's been alone. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. Experts from the University of Florida say to run in a straight line if an alligator is chasing you. Elderly South Carolina Woman Killed by an Alligator After Falling into Pond. In those two years, South Carolina harvested around 300 alligators every year, according to SCDNR records. 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. South Carolina has been home to over 100,000 alligators. 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. Just off of Cape Point this 1,500 shark was spotted on February 28th. The good news for humans: Alligators have a natural fear of humans and usually will retreat when approached, Texas Parks and Wildlife says. One officer was able to shoot the animal as it surfaced again, police said. "Our hearts go out to the family and community members impacted by this tragic incident," a statement from police said. Police said the victim, whose identity has not been released yet, was recovered from the pond and the alligator was removed. As of August, there were 23 total alligator attacks since 1915, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. 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. From our records, there wasnt an attack from 1915 to 1976, but that could just be because they werent newsworthy back then.. The Charleston County Sheriffs Office responded to the incident on Salt Cedar Lane, Kiawah Island around 5 p.m. Friday. First responders were then able to pull the womans body from the water. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Officials have released a 911 call made after an alligator fatally attacked an 85-year-old woman in Florida earlier this week. An officer observed the alligator and the victim surface in the water, the report said. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Experts explain why. ", RELATED VIDEO: Officials Say Shark Attacked Woman Who Vanished While Snorkeling with Husband, Blast 'Conspiracy Theories'. A person walking their dog discovered his body along the shoreline the next morning, the police said. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The first one was not fatal, she added. 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. Everybody treats them with a healthy respect. Outdoor Life - Katie Hill. When we got there thats exactly what we found, said Maj. Angela Viens, a public information officer with the Beaufort County sheriffs office. CLICK HERE. An autopsy Monday found Covert died of drowning, the Charleston County Coroners Office said. Treat your dog like you would treat your child.. In many instances, there are several of factors that contribute to an alligator attack. Four Fatal Gator Attacks in 76 Days Is a Statistical Anomaly. Its unlikely for them to leave the water to come after someone, he 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. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal, according to the police report released Monday. Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but will attack in certain instances. 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. 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. 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 tip for a story? Updated on: August 15, 2022 / 7:34 PM An autopsy Monday found Covert died of drowning, the Charleston County Coroner's Office said. 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. Florida had an. Mazzoti said you're more than likely to drown in water than be attacked by an alligator. 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