Dog owner in South Carolina dies in rare alligator attack
A South Carolina woman was killed in an alligator attack while walking her dog on Hilton Head Island in what authorities say is an “extremely uncommon” attack.
Officials with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said the woman, identified by authorities as Cassandra Cline, 45, was dragged into a lagoon Monday by the 8-footlong reptile. Deputies responded to the scene near Wood Duck Road about 9:30 a.m. and pulled her body from the water, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said Ms. Cline’s dog was not harmed. Authorities captured the alligator and euthanized it, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources spokesman David Lucas.
Mr. Lucas said fatal alligator attacks are uncommon, especially in South Carolina. The state has recorded only one death from an alligator encounter over the past four decades, Mr. Lucas said. In 2016, a 90-year-old woman found dead in a pond in Charleston was believed to have been killed by an alligator, according to the Post and Courier. Mr. Lucas said that since 1976, there have about 20 non-fatal encounters with alligators in the state.
Authorities are still awaiting an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, according to a statement from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the county coroner’s office said no information was further available on the incident.
A spokeswoman with Sea Pines Community Services Associates called it a “tragedy,” saying the homeowners association is working with the sheriff’s office and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources during the investigation.
The state’s Department of Natural Resources has previously warned residents and visitors to be aware that alligators may be hiding in bodies of water and never to approach them. Officials also said people should avoid swimming in water or allowing pets to swim in water where alligators are known to be and urged “never” feeding the animals because it can make them aggressive toward humans.