We’ve all heard of gators snatching dogs and cats that wander to close to their waterholes. In this case, the gator was more interested in the dog owner than the dog.
A woman in Hilton Head, a beautiful sea island along the South Carolina coast, was walking her dog Monday morning when an alligator passed on the dog and grabbed her.
Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office received a call around 9:30 a.m. about a possible alligator attack near a lagoon in Sea Pines Plantation. Sea Pines is one of many resort communities on the island. If you’ve watched the Heritage Golf Classic, you’ve probably seen 6-, 7- and 8-foot gators lounging around on greens.
Officers arrived and discovered the woman’s body inside the lagoon.
According to witnesses, the unidentified woman was walking her dog when an alligator, approximately 8 feet long, “attacked and pulled” her into the water. Security staff also viewed surveillance video of the attack, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources spokesman Capt. Robert McCullough told The Post and Courier.
Monday afternoon, authorities were at the lagoon searching for the alligator.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the woman’s cause of death. Her dog was unharmed.
Sea Pines Living posted on its Facebook page to confirm the woman’s death.
“Sea Pines CSA is actively working with local authorities to ensure necessary access to the site while the investigation is underway. At this time, little information is available about the individual or incident. We are extremely saddened by this news and will share information with the community as it is made available,” the post read.
McCullough said the woman was the second person to die from an alligator attack in South Carolina history.