Officials have indicated that an 88-year-old woman from South Carolina was killed in an apparent alligator attack on Monday after she fell in a pond while gardening.

The deceased has been identified as Nancy Becker.

Reports from the Beaufort Sheriff County Office indicate that around 11:15 a.m., Becker was gardening near a pond in Sun City Hilton Head when she fell in and was attacked by a 9-foot, 8- inch male alligator.

The report further outlined that when emergency personnel arrived on the scene to retrieve Becker’s body, the alligator was discovered standing guard beside her.

Becker’s body was eventually recovered at 1 p.m., while personnel from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) located and removed the alligator around 4 p.m.; The reptile was also euthanized.

In the interim, an autopsy will be conducted on Becker’s body later today.