A Georgetown County Sheriff’s Deputy lured a seven-foot alligator out of the way so a family could escape from the fishing pier over the Waccamaw River early Wednesday morning.

The incident was reported around 1:45 a.m., when deputies were called to the broken fishing bridge, just off U.S. 17.

The family, which included some children, were near the gazebo on the fishing bridge, said Russell Goodall, spokesman for the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office.

The family saw the alligator standing in the way and immediately called 911.

Deputies went to the pier to help the family and get the alligator out of the way.

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources was also called, Goodall said.

 “The deputies kind of coaxed it to the other side of the gazebo,” Goodall said.

The family was able to get off the pier with no one hurt, Goodall said.

The alligator then dove off the end of the fishing pier, he said.

Nuisance alligators

Officials with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources said they have had other instances where alligators crawled on or around the fishing bridge.

A 10-foot nuisance alligator was removed from the same area on July 17, said Dean Cain, a biologist with the S.C. DNR.

The alligator, which had a line wrapped around its snout and inside its mouth, had been seen at the nearby marina and around the Georgetown Coast Guard station, Cain said.

It had apparently lost its fear of humans and could not be relocated to another area, Cain said.

“The alligator was an active nuisance around certain parts of the Georgetown Landing Marina and at the Coast Guard station,” Cain said. “A nuisance alligator has lost its fear of humans. Those that we remove have to be destroyed.”

Cain said it appeared that someone had been hand feeding the 10-foot alligator.

He reminds residents not to throw scraps or food at the alligators, since they will then go looking for other snacks from humans.

“They hear very well and they see very well,” he said. “You feed them one time and they know where the food is.”

Alligators have also been removed several times from the waterfront on Front Street, he said.

Anyone who has questions about alligators, or alligator removal, can call Cain at the Samworth WMA, 546-8119, ext. 12.

By Kelly Marshall Fuller

Kfuller@gtowntimes.com