Massachusetts

Woman Walking Dog Killed in Alligator Attack at Hilton Head Resort

The alligator believed to have been responsible for the attack was located later Monday

What to Know

  • A woman walking her dog in Hilton Head was apparently attacked and killed by an alligator
  • The woman was attacked Monday morning; authorities believe an alligator about 8 feet long pulled her under the water
  • Beaufort County Coroner Edward Allen identified the woman as Cassandra Cline, 45, of Hilton Head Island; the dog was not hurt

An alligator attacked a woman who was walking her dog, pulling her underwater in a lagoon and killing her, authorities in South Carolina said.

The attack happened around 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Sea Pines resort on Hilton Head Island, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

Witnesses say the woman was pulled under the surface of the water by an alligator thought to be about 8 feet (2.5 meters) long.

Beaufort County Coroner Edward Allen identified the woman as Cassandra Cline, 45, of Hilton Head Island. Allen scheduled an autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina.

The woman's dog did not appear to have been hurt, the sheriff's department said.

The alligator believed to have been responsible for the attack was located later Monday, the sheriff's office said without specifying exactly what happened after it was found.

In a statement Monday, the resort said it is working with authorities "to ensure necessary access to the site while the investigation is underway."

"We are extremely saddened by this news and will share information with the community as it is made available," Sea Pines said in the statement.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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