Terrifying moment when an alligator attacks a fisherman at the edge of a pond in South Carolina
- The video was taken Tuesday night by tourist Micah Kimberlin as he and his family visited the shipyard on Hilton Head Island.
- The man is standing on the grassy edge of the pond when the alligator suddenly appears
- The man runs to safety before the gator re-enters the pond
The terrifying moment an alligator lunges at a fisherman at a South Carolina pond before running to safety and away from the hungry beast has been caught on camera.
The video was taken by a tourist who visited the shipyard on Hilton Head Island with his family around 7 p.m. Tuesday night. Micah Kimberlin said he was riding a bicycle with his wife and three children when he saw the gator.
Surveillance video shows the fisherman standing on the grassy edge of the pond with his fishing rod in hand when the gator suddenly emerges and lunges at him.
The man is seen running away from the lake in the other direction, while a nearby woman holding a camera also darts away from the rushed scene. Fortunately, he managed to escape without injury.
The gator is seen moments later re-entering the pond.
Surveillance video shows the man waiting patiently on the pond’s grassy edge to catch a fish when suddenly the alligator appears.
The gator is seen attacking the man who was fishing seconds earlier
A woman who was nearby also runs away as the alligator lunges forward
said Kimberlin WJCL news that he wished the fisherman in the video had reeled in his bait sooner than he did.
Morgan Hart, an alligator project coordinator for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, told the news outlet it was “probably an alligator that has been fed.”
She said the gator probably associated the people near the pond with food.
“He’s learned that people who fish there have fed him in the past. It’s very hard to unlearn an alligator that people mean food.”
She also pointed out that when an alligator approaches humans for food, it is considered dangerous and should be removed.
The wildlife expert urged people to always keep their distance when fishing in a pond known to contain alligators.
“When you see alligators, they come to you. They’re interested in your bait, your line, your bobber. You have to get all that gear out, get out, give them time to move on,” she said.
Two days after the incident, Kimberlin’s brother-in-law witnessed alligators being carted off to the same pond where Tuesday’s attack occurred.