A ruthless alligator attacked and killed a South Carolina woman Tuesday while she was walking her dog at Hilton Head Island, according to CBS News.
A woman who was walking her dog was killed in an alligator attack on Hilton Head Island Tuesday morning, authorities said, marking the second fatal gator attack in the county in less than a year. https://t.co/bi6MrtJOFx
— Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) July 4, 2023
Deputies responded to reports of an alligator attack near a lagoon bordering a golf course in the Spanish Wells community, according to CBS News.
The 69-year-old victim was found dead at the edge of the water by deputies, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
“Rescue efforts were made and an alligator appeared and was guarding the woman, interrupting emergency efforts,” the sheriff’s office stated. “The gator was safely removed from the area and the woman’s body was recovered.”
It is unknown whether the victim’s dog suffered any injuries.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources addressed the situation, tweeting “biologists and officers are responding” to the alligator attack.
Our biologists and officers are responding to an alligator incident on Hilton Head Island in Beaufort County. We do not have any additional information and will update when we do. pic.twitter.com/jCmzHBJnt2
— S.C. Dept. of Natural Resources (@SCDNR) July 4, 2023
This is not the first alligator attack in Beaufort County. A Sun City elderly woman, 88, was killed by an alligator at a lagoon in August 2022, according to CBS News.