Alligator found guarding woman's body near South Carolina lagoon: authorities

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WSAV/WCBD) — A woman is dead after apparently being attacked by an alligator on South Carolina's Hilton Head Island.

According to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, officials responded to Spanish Wells for a reported alligator attack shortly before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

There they found a 69-year-old woman, a resident of the community, unresponsive at the edge of the lagoon.

While crews were working to rescue the woman, an alligator reportedly appeared and guarded the woman, interrupting emergency efforts. The gator was safely removed from the area and the woman’s body was recovered.

Deputies say the woman was walking her dog when the attack occurred. It's unclear where she was taken into the water. 

They believe she is a 69-year-old member of the Spanish Wells community. Her identity has not been released, and an autopsy is set to be conducted by the Beaufort County Coroner's Office.

The apparent attack comes more than a week after an alligator was captured on video charging a fisherman on Hilton Head Island, not far from Spanish Wells. The man wasn't injured but officials banned fishing in the area through the summer in response.

This is the second fatal alligator attack in Beaufort County in less than a year, with the last being an 88-year-old woman fatally attacked in Sun City in August 2022.