Deputies responded Friday to a report of an “alligator encounter” with a woman. The incident happened around 5 p.m. at a pond near Salt Cedar Lane on Kiawah Island, the sheriffs office tweeted.
A deputy shot and killed the alligator before it was retrieved.
The woman killed in the incident was identified by the Charleston County Coroner’s Office as Cynthia Covert of Johns Island, South Carolina.
Kiawah Island Mayor Craig Weaver called Covert’s death “a terrible tragedy.”
“We live closely with nature on this island. An alligator caused death is exceedingly rare and has not happened on our island before to my knowledge,” Weaver said in a statement Sunday. “We know that we must act responsibly and with care around these animals. Consequently, it will be important to know and to share with the community the facts and circumstances from this tragedy, so we can avoid experiencing anything like this again,” Weaver said.
The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston County Coroner’s Office, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources are investigating the incident, Weaver said.
CNN reached out to the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office for additional information.
Source : CNN
