KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — The Charleston County Coroner's Office has identified the woman killed by an alligator on Kiawah Island Friday, May 1, 2020.
Cynthia Covert, 58, of Johns Island, was killed around 5 p.m. Friday after an encounter with an alligator at a pond in the area of Salt Cedar Lane.
According to the Charleston County Sheriff's Office report, deputies responded to the home on Salt Cedar Lane in reference to an animal attack on a person.
Witnesses said that Covert approached the pond behind the home to get a closer look at an alligator. As she drew near, witnesses say that the alligator dragged Covert into the pond where they lost sight of her.
Deputies arriving at the scene, along with personnel with the St. Johns Fire Department, searched for Covert did not find her initially.
Covert resurfaced a short distance away from the attack site and emergency personnel were able to remove her from the water. She was unresponsive at the scene.
A Charleston County Sheriff's Officer shot and killed the alligator. The dead alligator was turned over the the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.