A woman has been killed by an eight-foot alligator while out walking her dog near a lagoon in a gated community in South Carolina.
Cassandra Cline, 45, was trying to protect her dog when she was attacked and pulled into a lagoon on Monday on Hilton Head Island at about 9.30am.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said witnesses called 911 to report that the alligator had attacked Cline near a lagoon off Wood Duck Road in the private Sea Pines Plantation.
Cassandra Cline, 45, was trying to protect her dog when she was attacked and pulled into a lagoon (above) on Monday on Hilton Head Island at about 9.30am
Cline, who lived in the gated community, was dragged underwater by the alligator, according to witnesses.
Authorities said they found Cline’s body in the lagoon when they arrived.
Cline’s dog did not appear to be harmed during the incident.
‘It appears the alligator went after her dog and she tried to protect it,’ Sam Chappalear of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources told The Island Packet newspaper.
The alligator was later found and euthanized.
An autopsy is scheduled to be carried out by the Beaufort County Coroner.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said witnesses called 911 to report that the alligator had attacked Cline near a lagoon off Wood Duck Road in the private Sea Pines Plantation
Cline, who lived in the gated community, was dragged underwater by the alligator, according to witnesses
Blake Smith, 34, was leaving his house when he saw police cars and firetrucks in the neighborhood.
‘I waited for about 30 minutes, then I started hearing rumors about what happened down the road from here,’ Smith told the newspaper.
‘It’s odd because this is the first time we’ve heard about an aggressive alligator around a human in the five years that we’ve been living here.’
Smith said that at times, alligators have been spotted in yards or pools, but Sea Pines quickly removed those animals.
‘They do a good job. This is just a sad incident,’ he said. ‘I have a young son, so it’s kind of concerning to see something like this could happen.’
Sea Pines said in a statement that it’s working with authorities ‘to ensure necessary access to the site while the investigation is underway.’
The lagoon (above) is surrounded by homes within the private Sea Pines Plantation community
The woman was attacked and then dragged underwater by the alligator, according to witnesses (file photo)