88-Year-Old Woman Mauled to Death by Massive Alligator in South Carolina

An alligator attacked an 88-year-old woman when she apparently slipped into a pond while gardening at a gated adult community in Sun City Hilton Head in Beaufort County, South Carolina. The alligator was "standing guard" beside the South Carolina woman's body when local authorities arrived at the scene. Reports identify the victim as Nancy A. Becker, a resident of Sun City.

The incident is the fourth confirmed fatal alligator attack across the United States and the second in South Carolina this year alone. In June, an alligator killed a man after dragging him into a retention pond near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, making it the first fatal alligator attack in the state in 2022.

Alligator Attacks 88-Year-Old Woman

(Photo : Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

Authorities confirmed Becker was gardening near the pond on Monday, August 15, when she slipped into the water, where the 9-foot male alligator was waiting for her, as cited by USA Today.

South Carolina's wildlife officials arrived at the scene to capture the alligator, which was later on euthanized.

Local officials will also conduct an autopsy of Becker at the South Medical University of South Carolina.

Also Read: Florida Man Lost Chunks of Muscle Tissue Leg After an Alligator Attack at a Sarasota County Motel

American Alligator

The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is the only member of the Order Crocodilian native to South Carolina. The relatively large crocodilian is sometimes referred to as a gator or a common alligator, having a lifespan of approximately between 30 to 50 years.

The American alligator also has its presence across the US, mainly from North Carolina to the Rio Grande River in Texas, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo. In terms of natural habitats, the reptiles can be found in lakes, marshes, and swamps, as well as freshwater and slow-moving rivers.

After being listed before as a "federally endangered species," their populations bounced back and their status has been upgraded to "threatened" due to its physical resemblance to the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).

The increased population of the alligators in South Carolina has become abundant the SCDNR initiated a hunting season for the wild animals in 2008.

Contrary to popular estimates, the department states American alligators can live for more than 60 years and reach a seize greater than 13 feet.

South Carolina Alligator Attacks

In July 2022, it was reported that there have been 17 alligator-related attacks and four deaths in South Carolina since 2000, according to The Post and Courier, a local media source. The four deaths transpired in Charleston County in 2016; Beaufort County in 2018; Charleston County in 2020; and Horry County this year.

While wildlife experts claim fatal alligator attacks are rare, South Carolina officials still warn the public exercise caution.

According to Greg Lucas, spokesperson for the SCDNR, a person has a better chance of dying from hitting a deer while driving a car than getting attacked or drying from an alligator in South Carolina, as cited by The Post and Courier.