HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- Authorities in South Carolina say an alligator attacked a woman who was walking her dog, pulling her underwater in a lagoon and killing her.

  • Cassandra Cline's body was found in a lagoon Monday morning.
  • Witness said Cline was walking her dog when she was attacked and pulled underwater by the alligator.
  • Authorities believe they found the alligator responsible.

The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said the attack happened around 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Sea Pines resort on Hilton Head Island.

Witnesses said 45-year-old Cassandra Cline was pulled under the surface of the water by an alligator thought to be about 8 feet long.

Beaufort County Coroner Edward Allen scheduled an autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Cline's dog did not appear to have been hurt, the sheriff's department said.

The alligator was caught and killed.