South Carolina authorities announced on Monday (Aug 15) that a woman was found dead in a pond and her body was being held hostage by an aggressive alligator.
The woman was believed to have been gardening near the pond when she slipped into the water and the gator got her. However, they’re still not sure yet whether that happened or if she was attacked and pulled into the water from the shoreline.
Beaufort County Sheriff’s Spokeswoman Maj. Angela Viens told NBC News, “The alligator was basically holding her hostage, I guess. I don’t know what the appropriate term would be. It was guarding her and did not want people close by.”
The woman was said to be 88-year-old Nancy A. Becker who lived in Sun City Hilton Head, a popular gated senior community for adults age 55 and older that’s just north of Savannah, Georgia.
Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said the victim’s body was found around 11:15am local time after receiving reports that a person was in a 300-square-yard pond on the property with a 9-foot, 8-inch male alligator.
The body was finally recovered around 1pm that afternoon and Personnel with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) said they located and removed the alligator around 3pm.
An investigation is being launched into the incident by the SCDNR and the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office. An autopsy was expected to happen on Tuesday at the South Medical University of South Carolina to gather more information.