Hilton Head, SC (WLTX) - A woman was attacked and killed by an alligator on Hilton Head in South Carolina Monday morning.
Beaufort County deputies say around 9:30 a.m., they got an emergency call to a lagoon on Wood Ducks Road in the Sea Pines Plantation, a resort on the island. When officers arrived, they found the woman dead inside the lagoon and recovered her body. Witnesses told authorities the woman had been walking her dog near the water and was pulled under by the gator.
The Sheriff's Office Environmental Crimes Unit, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and Sea Pines Security are on-scene searching for the alligator. Officers say the animal is reported to be approximately 8 feet in length.
Officers are not releasing the woman's identity until her next of kin can be notified. Beaufort County Coroner Edward Allen scheduled an autopsy to be performed at the Medical University of South Carolina to determine the cause of the woman's death.
The deceased woman's dog did not appear to be harmed during the incident.
Sea Pines Living Issued the following statement:
Dear Sea Pines Property Owners,
This morning Sea Pines Security Department and the Beaufort County Sherriff’s Department responded to a call reporting a deceased person found in a lagoon in the Club Course area of Sea Pines.
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.