Woman killed in alligator attack in South Carolina

(SUN CITY HILTON HEAD, S.C.) — A woman was killed in an apparent alligator attack in South Carolina on Monday, officials said.

The large alligator was spotted “near the edge of a pond” in Sun City Hilton Head, an adult-only community, “guarding what was believed to be a person,” the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said.

Responders found the gator and a dead person, the sheriff’s office said. The victim hasn’t been identified.

The gator is still being recovered from the pond, according to the sheriff’s office.

Alligators are active during spring and summer, because when temperatures rise, their metabolism increases and they look for food, Melody Kilborn, a spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told ABC News last month.

Kilborn urged people to follow these safety tips: alligators are most active at night, so only swim in designated swimming areas during daylight hours; never feed an alligator; and keep your pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge.

ABC News’ Darren Reynolds contributed to this report.