Law enforcement responded to a report of a possible alligator attack near a lagoon bordering the golf course in the Spanish Wells community on Hilton Head Island.
The 69-year-old was found at the edge of the lagoon and appeared to be unresponsive. First responders tried to get to the woman but her body was being guarded by a 10 foot the gator who was eventually removed and euthanized. DNR said initial information from the scene was that the woman was walking her dog near the lagoon when the alligator attacked.
The Beaufort County coroner identified the victim as Holly Jenkins, of Hilton Head Island. An autopsy is scheduled Wednesday to determine Jenkins’ official cause of death.
Michelle Cheadle who lives nearby said she and her two dogs encountered an alligator themselves very recently. “We were on a golf cart ride the other day with the dogs and not five feet away from us was a huge alligator. You just have to be aware of your surroundings, understand they live here, this is their territory, and respect that fact that you need to stay away."
This is the second deadly alligator attack in Beaufort County in less than a year. In 2022, an 88-year-old Sun City woman was attacked by an alligator at a lagoon near her home. Alligators are ending mating season and are in nesting season.
Just over a week ago another person on the island was chased by a gator while fishing. The video is below.
Photo: Getty Images