Crime & Safety
Woman Killed By Alligator While Gardening In South Carolina
Nancy Becker, who was living at the Sun City community where the attack occurred, slipped into the pond, according to the News & Observer.
BEAUFORT COUNTY, SC — The woman who was killed in an alligator attack in South Carolina's Lowcountry on Monday has been identified as 88-year-old Nancy Becker, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources confirmed to Patch.
Becker was found in a pond near her house in the Sun City Hilton Head community, and authorities believe she slipped and fell into the pond while gardening.
Beaufort County deputies found Becker's body being guarded by the alligator near the pond around 11:15 a.m. Monday. The gated 55-and-older community is located near the Georgia-South Carolina state line, around 20 miles north of Savannah.
Find out what's happening in Across South Carolinawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
An autopsy will be conducted Tuesday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, according to Beaufort County Coroner David Ott.
The alligator, which was nearly 10 feet long, was removed from the pond and euthanized, officials said.
Find out what's happening in Across South Carolinawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
It was the second fatal alligator attack in Beaufort County since 2018, and there have been 18 alligator attacks, including five deaths, in South Carolina since 2000, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Among the other three deaths, two were in Charleston County and one was in Horry County.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
