Home | WebMail | Register or Login

      Calgary | Regions | Local Traffic Report | Advertise on Action News | Contact

Posted: 2023-06-26T15:16:30Z | Updated: 2023-06-26T15:16:30Z

A man fishing in a pond in coastal South Carolina got a not-so-warm welcome from an alligator, in a startling incident caught on video by a bystander.

In the footage, the man can be seen winding in his fishing line and retreating from the water as the medium-sized reptile approaches the shore. Suddenly, the alligator bursts out of the water and charges after the man, who sprints away unscathed.

Micah Kimberlin, who was visiting the Hilton Head area with his family, told WJCL News he filmed the clip on June 20 while cycling with his family. He said he started recording when he saw the alligator approaching the man from the water.

A man visiting Hilton Head, South Carolina, captured the moment a fisherman was charged by an alligator. No one was injured and the alligator re-entered the pond shortly after. https://t.co/7HLs4EFz7U pic.twitter.com/sMf70cbYSo

ABC News (@ABC) June 24, 2023","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"ABC News","author_url":"https://twitter.com/ABC","cache_age":86400,"description":"A man visiting Hilton Head, South Carolina, captured the moment a fisherman was charged by an alligator. No one was injured and the alligator re-entered the pond shortly after. https://t.co/7HLs4EFz7U pic.twitter.com/sMf70cbYSo ABC News (@ABC) June 24, 2023\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":1280,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FzXR9CxaMAAEAqX.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":720,"title":"ABC News on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1672590400391901184","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"64999321e4b08f753c2daac0","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/alligator-charges-man-south-carolina_n_64999321e4b08f753c2daac0","entryTagsList":"south-carolina,wildlife,alligator,reptiles,gator,@ai_seo_headline,@us_huffpost_now","sectionSlug":"us-news","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"green","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.us-news","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/bb6b467f-0052-4fe5-b4e9-583382e03337/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":2},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"64999321e4b08f753c2daac0","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"South Carolina","slug":"south-carolina","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/south-carolina","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/south-carolina","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/south-carolina"},"relegenceId":3692622,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"U.S. News","slug":"us-news"},"topic":{"title":"South Carolina","slug":"south-carolina","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/south-carolina"},{"name":"wildlife","slug":"wildlife","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/wildlife","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/wildlife","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/wildlife"},"department":{"name":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"section":{"title":"Environment","slug":"green"},"topic":{"title":"Nature","slug":"nature","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/impact/topic/nature"},{"name":"alligator","slug":"alligator","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/alligator","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/alligator","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/alligator"},"department":{"name":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"section":{"title":"Environment","slug":"green"},"topic":{"title":"Crocs And Gators","slug":"crocodile","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/impact/topic/crocodile"},{"name":"reptiles","slug":"reptiles","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/reptiles","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/reptiles","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/reptiles"},"relegenceSubjectId":6375962,"url":"https://action.news/topic/reptiles"},{"name":"gator","slug":"gator","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/gator","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/gator","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/gator"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/gator"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

A man visiting Hilton Head, South Carolina, captured the moment a fisherman was charged by an alligator. No one was injured and the alligator re-entered the pond shortly after. https://t.co/7HLs4EFz7U pic.twitter.com/sMf70cbYSo

ABC News (@ABC) June 24, 2023

Support Free Journalism

Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.

Support HuffPost

An alligator expert with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources told WJCL News its likely the alligator approached the man because it associated humans with food, possibly because it had been fed by people in the past.

Its illegal to feed alligators in South Carolina. According to an alligator safe advisory notice the department posted earlier this year, feeding alligators can lead to the carnivores approaching people and becoming aggressive in seeking food handouts. People who are fishing are also advised not to leave scraps or bait in the water.

Nearly any body of water in South Carolinas coastal plain may contain alligators, according to the notice. The reptiles become more active and are more likely to be seen out and about in the warmer months.

Support Free Journalism

Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.

Support HuffPost