Woman killed by alligator while walking her dog in South Carolina

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Authorities in South Carolina say a woman has been attacked and killed by an alligator as she walked her dog near a lagoon. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release the attack occurred around 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Sea Pines resort on Hilton Head Island.

The sheriff’s office says the woman was attacked and pulled under the surface of the water by an alligator thought to be about 8 feet long. Beaufort County Coroner Ed Allen didn’t have details about the attack. The woman’s name wasn’t immediately released.

The sheriff’s office says the dog was not harmed, CBS affiliate WTOC reports.

The sheriff’s department, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and resort security personnel are looking for the alligator.

“We are extremely saddened by this news,” Sea Pines resort said in a letter to property owners.

In June, a woman in Florida was killed by an alligator while walking her dogs near a lake. Officials reportedly found an arm inside the reptile.