Woman in S. Carolina Attacked and Killed by Alligator While Walking Her Dog

SeaBreeze

SeaBreeze

Endlessly Groovin'
Location
USA
She was pulled under water by the alligator and unfortunately died at the scene. I've never been anywhere with alligators around, and don't plan to be if I can help it. Her dog was not hurt. More here.

A woman has died from an apparent alligator attack on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina Monday morning, according to local authorities.

If confirmed, it would be the first documented fatal alligator attack in decades in South Carolina, local officials told ABC News.

Witnesses saw the woman walking a dog near a lagoon at Sea Pines Plantation, a gated community on Hilton Head, when she was attacked by an alligator and pulled underwater, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said.

“They were able to get her out of the water and she was still alive, but she died at the scene," according to David Lucas of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.


The victim was identified as 45-year-old Cassandra Cline of Hilton Head Island, said Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Bob Bromage.
An autopsy will determine her cause of death, the sheriff's office said.




alligator-hilton-head-island-gty-thg-180820_hpMain_4x3_992.jpg
Click to expand...
 

I guess their jaws are so strong that once they get hold of you there's no hope in getting away or wriggling out of their clutches.
 

That's why I never walked my dog close to the water or even by myself, those alligators are fast, too. Her dog must be upset, he will miss her.
I went on my first and last canoe ride once, with alligators all around me, laying on the rocks in the sun and in the water.
No thanks.
 
We stayed in Hilton Head in May. I was shocked at the very large alligators sunning themselves at lagoons and the golf course.
We had grandchildren with us under 3 yrs old so they were at our side but if a curious 8 yr old was off exploring, well, I can't imagine.
When we arrived there was a small alligator that would join the turtles for sunning. Cute. But as we walked to the pool my daughter said "look!" and there was an 8-9 ft alligator on the bank of the lagoon. Scary!
 
Unfortunately these are the waters close to where I'll be and where my beach house buddies will be likely spending some time kayaking. I'm still going to spend time in the ocean side, but the areas closer to the marshes and lakes, I will avoid like the plague.

One of the parks in the area, I thought about going camping till I saw this video. be sure to fast forward to 4:30 somewhere near after a woman is standing with her dog not far from where a gator is.


Why did the gator cross the road.

But as long as this doesn't happen, my mini-vacation should be all good

But then I worry more about those in deep woods encountering a bear than I do about encountering a dangerous gator at the beach. Still will keep my eyes out for all predators of all kinds.
 
When we first moved to Florida and didn't know much about alligators, we took a trip down to Shark Valley in the edges of the Everglades.

Normally, you can take a shuttle out to an observation tower to look over the Everglades. But, because of high water, the shuttle was not operating. They told us we could walk out there to the tower, about a half hour walk, since the water was only ankle deep.

So, the Intrepid Trio (husband, daughter and I) started out. After about 10 minutes, we noticed that the cute little gators we had seen at first had bigger and bigger cousins. We turned tail and I can assure you, it took considerably LESS than 10 minutes to make it back to the parking lot. I think the splashing we made must have scared every gator in the vicinity.

My other encounter with a gator was a "religious experience". Our boat motor had conked out in a Central Florida lake and I got the great idea to swim ashore with a rope tied to my wrist and pull the boat over to shore. I jumped in, came eye to eye with a gator (a small one, at least) and WALKED on water back to the boat. Thus, the religious experience. I've been waiting for years for my canonization notice from the Vatican, but alas, it has never come.
 
I used to see them all the time on golf courses in the low country and that was 25 years ago. They were a protected species for too many years, we have a hunting season but I think it's too late.
 
One of the Internet news reports said that people don't realize that gators can actually gallop pretty fast when they are motivated by something they want to eat. And they love dogs. It said you should never walk your dog next to a body of water in alligator country.
 
The very thought of gators and crocs terrify me. I'll take an earthquake over an alligator (or coral snake, or water moccasin, python). Although it's a gorgeous state in the springtime, I avoid FL and other wet southern states because of the gators.
 
Well, we've have lived here in Jacksonville, FL since 2009 and have only seen one gator out in the open. It appear to be a young one, as in teenager size, and was in a swampy type body of water next to the parking lot of the boat ramp we use to launch/retrieve our boat from. The area was fenced off. We were there watching some boaters launch/retrieve their boats. I was looking thru the fence at the swampy area, when I seen it laying next to the water. I called my wife over and got out my iPhone to take a few pictures. Would you believe that young gator acted like it liked it's picture taken. Laid right there and looked over at me. We only seen it once.

There is a large creek, that comes off of the St Johns River here, that we are told has multiple gators sunbathing by the shore during the summer months. Never have, and won't, go down that creek or in that area with our boat.

Will definitely be glad when we move back to Colorado...…..no gators there!
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top