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Woman Attacked By 9 Foot Alligator In Hilton Head, South Carolina

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A woman in South Carolina was bitten by a nine-foot alligator near her Hilton Head Island home Monday evening, according to authorities.

The 68-year-old was walking her dog around 10 p.m. in the Sun City retirement community approximately 25 yards from a pond when an alligator bit her on the wrist, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

She was transported to Memorial Health hospital in Savannah, Georgia, and is said to be recovering from her injuries.

“Unfortunately, we did find an adult patient that had engaged in some capacity with a gator. While we wouldn’t say they were life-threatening injuries, they were certainly life-changing injuries,” said Cpt. Lee Levesque of the Bluffton Township Fire District.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources sent conservation officers, wildlife biologists and an alligator control agent to find the reptile. One located close to the victim’s home was captured and euthanized, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said they can’t be sure if it was the exact alligator who attacked the woman. The incident is being investigated.

Alligator attacks are rare in the area, according to Bluffton Township Fire District officials.

“We surely look at those to see if there is a preventive message or effort that we can put forth to help folks avoid those scenarios. The unfortunate truth is they are wild animals, and wild indicates the fact that there is no trend there is no way,” said Levesque.

“In our experience, there’s not a trend.”