MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — A routine walk around the neighborhood turned into a near tragedy for a South Carolina man.
ABC-affiliate WCIV said Bruce Savage knew about the alligators in his neighborhood when he took his dog, Hanna, out for her daily walk.
“It’s kind of a thing in the neighborhood, can you spot the gators,” Savage said.
But when he took a turn in the back end of the path around the pond, one of those alligators attacked.
“All of a sudden I heard a whoosh and then I saw Hanna’s back end in the mouth of a gator.”
Grabbing the tail of his terrier, Savage held onto the leash, pulling her out.
“The whole thing was probably less than 60 seconds. The whole event,” Savage said. “I can’t hear anything, literally my whole system shut down. My ears shut down, I couldn’t hear anything. Except for myself screaming my dog’s names. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Hannah’s tail was bitten off and she sustained other injuries to her back side, but Bruce was not hurt by the gator.
“My kids were like, ‘well, did you look back?’ And I was like, ‘Heck no, I didn’t look back.’ I was running as fast as I could,” he said.
There have been three fatal gator encounters recorded in South Carolina since 2016, according to the Department of Natural Resources. A representative for the department said it has seen an increase in injuries in recent years, particularly in the spring and summer, because people are building more homes in gator habitats.
Authorities weren’t able to find the gator that attacked Hanna, but in the meantime, Savage said they’ll stay away from the pond.
“I just don’t think it’s smart to walk along there, and I don’t think Hanna will ever go there again,” Savage said.
The DNR said that if anyone is near a wetland to stay 10 feet from the water for their safety.
(MUST SEE VIDEO: Massive 12-foot gator takes stroll on SC golf course)
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