South Carolina alligator attack on woman ends after neighbor whacks creature with shovel

A South Carolina woman was rescued by a neighbor Thursday morning during a violent alligator attack in the state, authorities said. 

Fire rescue personnel said the neighbor heard a commotion near the lagoon and found the woman in the water with the alligator "latched on to her lower leg[s]." The neighbor entered the lagoon and tried to pull the victim back to safety, but was unsuccessful, according to the statement. So the neighbor alerted her husband, who picked up a shovel, ran into the water, and repeatedly beat the alligator until it let go of the victim, Hilton Head Plantation officials told FITSNews.