HORRY COUNTY, S.C. — Police are investigating after an alligator killed a person Friday in a retention pond in a community near Myrtle Beach.
Fire officials, police and officials with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources responded around 11:45 a.m. to a call for a water rescue in the area of Excalaber Court, according to the Horry County Police Department.
“Upon arrival, units determined that an alligator had taken hold of a neighbor and retreated into a nearby retention pond,” police said in a news release.
A biologist with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and an alligator removal service contracted by the agency determined that the alligator “should be humanely euthanized on site,” according to officials. Police said the victim, who was not identified, and the alligator were subsequently recovered from the pond.
The circumstances leading up to the incident remained unclear Friday afternoon. Police continue to investigate.