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.. All rights reserved. "I see her," the neighbor said with audible emotion in her voice. A woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, police said. Before that, Bonnie Walker, 90, wandered off her senior living center and was killed in an attack in Charleston, South Carolina in 2016. However, this is the second fatal attack in a month. Authorities previously confirmed to PEOPLE that Gloria Serge was "walking her small dog along a retention pool" in the Ft. Pierce community where she lived when an alligator, estimated to be around 10-feet long, "pulled her into the water.". For reference, you have a better chance of getting attacked by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. The giant reptile was captured and euthanized on site. 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 . 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. ', 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. A person died after an alligator dragged them into a pond in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, police said Friday. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, "She was walking her little dog, and the gator grabbed the dog," the neighbor added. Alligator attacks are rare but not surprising, Major Viens said of the area. Alligator Fatally Attacks Man at the Edge of a South Carolina Pond, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/26/us/myrtle-beach-fatal-alligator-attack.html. It was no walk in the park for a South Carolina man who saved his dog from an alligator attack during a morning stroll. Outdoor Life - Katie Hill. Early in the year, when water is cooler, its common to see them on the banks sunning themselves. The woman Covert was staying with said she didnt 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. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. This marks the fifth alligator death in South Carolina since 2000, according to the Department of Natural Resources and the sheriff's office. 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? . We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Gator attack:A Florida man thought a 7-foot alligator was dog on long leash. June 25, 2022 / 2:26 PM / CBS News. Market data provided by Factset. Why Deadly Alligator Attacks Like South Carolina Are a Growing Trend. 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 HCPD said its death investigation remains underway. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. At least four people have been killed in alligator attacks in 2022. 8/16/2022. Charleston County deputies said that officers were called to a . Mazzotti says people need to be aware of their surrounding when they are near water or in areas where they have been alligator sightings. Rattlesnakes:What to know if you're bitten by a rattlesnake, Bears:What should you do if you see a bear? Everybody treats them with a healthy respect. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 1 Dead in Fatal Alligator Attack at South Carolina Retention Pond Near Myrtle Beach. 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. Cynthia Covert, 58, died in the attack Friday afternoon on Kiawah Island, Charleston County deputies said. 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. According to SCDNR South Carolina has had only three fatal alligator attacks in its recorded history and each occurred within the last four years. "Anywhere there is standing water, an alligator might be found," The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement to USA TODAY. The following day, a person walking their dog discovered McGuiness' body along the lake's shoreline. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. An autopsy Monday found Covert died of drowning, the Charleston County Coroner's Office said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. On Monday morning police responded to a report of an alligator attack at a pond inside the Sun City gated community, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal, according to the police report released Monday. The Horry County Fire Rescue Department told ABC News it had no further information as of Monday morning. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The Charleston County Sheriffs Office responded to the incident on Salt Cedar Lane, Kiawah Island around 5 p.m. Friday. "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. KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) Authorities say deputies in South Carolina shot and killed an alligator that fatally attacked a woman. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. This is the first deadly alligator attack in the state since May 2020, according to authorities. Now and then, he will see photos in the local news media of an alligator out and about, he said. Cynthia Covert, 58, drowned Friday after an alligator repeatedly pulled her into a pond on Kiawah Island, according to a report from the Charleston County Sheriff's Office. 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. Cynthia Covert, 58, died in the attack Friday afternoon on Kiawah Island, Charleston County deputies said. Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but will attack in certain instances. 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. Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? 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 South Carolina gator 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. But fatal gator attacks are rare. Deputies with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office were notified around 11:15 a.m. about an alligator that looked as if it was "standing guard" beside a . In 1962, Fraser walked alongside an alligator named Albert for a magazine photoshoot that attracted attention from around the world. Studio, Officials Say Shark Attacked Woman Who Vanished While Snorkeling with Husband, Blast 'Conspiracy Theories', Woman Who Vanished in Shark Attack While Snorkeling with Husband Was 'Following Dreams' on Hawaii Trip, Shocking Video Shows Fla. Man Trapping Alligator into Garbage Bin: 'Somebody's Gotta Step Up', Elderly Florida Woman Killed by 2 Alligators After Falling into a Pond Near Her Home, Fla. Man Attacked by 7-Foot Alligator Outside Motel After Mistaking It For a Dog, 1 Dead in Fatal Alligator Attack at South Carolina Retention Pond Near Myrtle Beach, Florida Deputies Relocate Alligator Found in Garage Near Sheriff's Office: 'Later Gator! Deputies in South Carolina shot and killed an alligator that fatally attacked a woman on Friday, authorities said. 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. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator to get Covert away from the animal, according to the police report released Monday. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Initially, the Horry County Fire Rescue was dispatched at 11:54 a.m. to a water-related call in the area of Excalibur Court in Myrtle Beach, a statement from the department said. ': Hot, hungry alligators are taking lonely strolls in Florida. Kilborn urged people to follow these safety tips: alligators are most active at night, so only swim in designated swimming areas during daylight hours; never feed an alligator; and keep your pets on a leash and away from the water's edge. Alligator attacks are rare, and there's an even slimmer chance of being killed by one. 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. Photo: Getty. Its also very important for humans to keep their distance from these creatures, experts stress. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, a statement from the Horry County Police Department. "He's so frightened," she told the operator. Deadly alligator attacks on humans are rare. CLICK HERE. It appears she was gardening near a pond in an adult-only . The Florida conservation commission said in November 2021 there were 442 unprovoked alligator bites in Florida from 1948 to 2021, averaging six a year. 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