A woman who was killed by an alligator in South Carolina didn’t scream when it attacked her before dragging her into the water, according to a friend.
Cynthia Covert, 58, died in the attack last week on Kiawah Island, said officials in Charleston County. A deputy had to shoot and kill the alligator before retrieving Covert, said a police report that was released on Monday, as reported by The Associated Press.
A woman who was with Covert said the victim appeared to be acting strangely on Friday and walked toward the alligator, the police report said. Deputies said the alligator was four feet away from Covert when it lunged at her.
Covert’s husband and another man attempted to beat the alligator to release Covert, but it swam deeper, according to the report.
Covert later died at the hospital after she was retrieved from the pond, officials told AP. The Charleston County Coroner’s Office said her cause of death was drowning.
“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,” Kiawah Island Mayor Craig Weaver said in a statement to news outlets on 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.
In recent years, there have been several fatal alligator attacks in South Carolina.A 90-year-old woman walked out of a Charleston in 2016 and was killed by a gator. A 45-year-old woman was attacked on Hilton Head Island in August 2018 while she walked her dog.
