Terrifying moment alligator charges at fisherman on the edge of a pond in South Carolina
- The video was captured by tourist Michal Kimberlin on Tuesday night when he was visiting the Shipyard on Hilton Head Island with his family
- The man is seen standing on the grassy edge of the pond when the gator suddenly emerges
- The man runs to safety before the gator re-enters the pond
The terrifying moment an alligator lunged at a fisherman by a South Carolina pond before he runs to safety and away from the hungry beast have captured on camera.
The video was captured by a tourist who was visiting the Shipyard on Hilton Head Island with his family on Tuesday night around 7pm. Micah Kimberlin said he was on a bike ride with his wife and three children when spotted the gator.
Surveillance video shows the fisherman standing on the grassy edge of the pond with his fishing rod in hand when suddenly the gator emerges and lunges towards him.
The man is seen running away from the lake in the other direction as a woman nearby who was holding a camera also bolts from the harried scene. Thankfully, he managed to escape without injury.
The alligator is seen moments later re-entering the pond.
Surveilllance video shows the man standing on the grassy edge of the pond patiently waiting to catch a fish when suddently the gator emerges.
The alligator is seen charging at the man who had been fishing seconds earlier
A woman who was nearby is also running away as the alligator lunges forward
Kimberlin told WJCL News that he wished the fisherman in the video had reeled in his bait sooner than he did.
Morgan Hart, alligator project coordinator for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, told the news outlet that it was ‘probably an alligator that has been fed.’
She said that likely, the alligator associated the humans that were near the pond with food.
‘It has learned that people fishing there have given it food in the past. It is very hard to unteach an alligator that people mean food.’
She also pointed out that when a gator approaches people for food it is considered dangerous and had to be removed.
The wildlife expert urged that people should always keep their distance if they are fishing in a pond that is known to have alligators in it.
‘If you’re seeing alligators, they’re approaching you, they’re interested in your bait, your line, your bobber, you should pull all that gear out, step away, give them time to move on,’ she said.
Two days after the incident, Kimberlin’s brother-in-law saw alligators being removed for the same pond where Tuesday’s attack took place.
