HILTON HEAD, S. C. (WSAV) — One woman has died following an alligator attack in Sun City.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office received a call at approximately 11:15 this morning about a large alligator near the edge of a pond in the Sun City community guarding what was believed to be a person. 

Upon arrival, emergency services located the alligator and a deceased person, later identified as 88-year-old Nancy Becker.

Becker was on the ground near a lagoon off Colonel Thomas Heyward Road and Fort Walker Lane.
When the alligator was moved, the woman was revealed to be dead.

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) believed she slipped and fell while gardening. 

“When we responded that’s what we observed as well that the alligator was basically, holding her hostage, was guarding her and didn’t want anyone close by,” said Major Angela Viens with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. “There’s no indication that it was a dog walking event that is what we commonly see and hear about in the Lowcountry.”

The nearly 10-foot-long alligator has been euthanized.

It is the second time in four years a woman has been killed by a gator in Beaufort County. The previous deadly attack was back in 2018.

The victim, Cassandra Cline, was walking near a lagoon in the Sea Pines neighborhood on Hilton Head and was dragged into the water, where she drowned. Now, her husband is suing for “gross negligence” in connection with that attack.