Woman killed by alligator while walking dog in South Carolina

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC — A woman died Tuesday when she was apparently attacked by an alligator on South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island, officials said.

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The woman, whose name was not released, was found unresponsive around 9:30 a.m. at the edge of a lagoon in the Spanish Wells community, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities said an alligator appeared to be guarding the woman, hampering emergency response efforts.

Deputies said officials were able to safely remove the alligator from the area and that the woman’s body was recovered.

Authorities said the woman was walking her dog earlier Tuesday when she was attacked. It was not immediately clear where she was taken into the water.

An autopsy will be performed, deputies said.

The deadly attack was the second in Beaufort County in less than one year. Officials said an 88-year-old Sun City woman died on Aug. 15, 2022, after she was attacked by an alligator at a lagoon near her home.