Coroner names 69-year-old Hilton Head woman killed by alligator in Spanish Wells lagoon
A 69-year-old woman found dead along a Hilton Head lagoon Tuesday has been identified as Spanish Wells resident Holly Jenkins, with autopsy results from the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office confirming the woman was killed by an alligator.
Jenkins died of blunt force trauma from the Tuesday morning attack, said Deputy Coroner Debbie Youmans. Her body also showed signs of drowning.
The nine-foot alligator that interrupted rescue efforts by “guarding” the woman’s body was later euthanized, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources confirmed.
Youmans would not answer questions about the nature of Jenkins’ fatal injuries. No additional tests will be performed, she said.
Sheriff’s Office deputies, Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue, the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office and Spanish Wells security personnel arrived to the scene just before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, finding Jenkins’ body at the edge of a lagoon bordering the golf course along Brams Point Road.
Deputies learned Jenkins had been walking her dog earlier that morning when the attack occurred. Her dog was found safe, said Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Maj. Angela Viens.
Tuesday’s attack was the second fatal alligator incident in Beaufort County in less than a year, reigniting local discourse about whether humans and alligators can coexist in the Lowcountry.
On Aug. 15, 2022, an 88-year-old Sun City woman was killed by an alligator while doing yardwork beside a lagoon near her home.
Before that, the next previous fatal attack was in the Hilton Head community of Sea Pines in 2018, when an alligator pulled a 45-year-old woman and her small dog into a pond after grabbing the pet’s leash.
In June, Shipyard temporarily banned fishing in lagoons on the Hilton Head community’s property after a man fishing there was chased by an alligator. No one was injured in that incident, but three alligators showing signs of aggression ultimately were removed from the lagoon.
This story was originally published July 7, 2023 at 3:09 PM.
