Gated Community Settles Lawsuit Following Tragic Alligator Attack on Grandmother

A tragic incident unfolded in South Carolina where a grandmother lost her life in an alligator attack, sparking allegations against her community for neglecting its promise to safeguard residents. The family of 69-year-old Holly Jenkins has initiated legal action, claiming that although Spanish Wells on Hilton Head Island assured residents of protections against such threats, they allegedly failed to implement any measures.

Spanish Wells, the neighborhood where Jenkins resided, reportedly reached a settlement with her family last week. The settlement follows accusations of negligence after the community had publicly committed to addressing known “risks” for which they were deemed “aware of and responsible,” according to the family’s lawsuit.

Court documents reveal that an undisclosed settlement amount was approved on May 5. The legal order states that the defendants and their insurers agreed to the settlement “to avoid litigation and the costs of a trial under the wrongful death or survival statutes.”

The Jenkins family contends that both the Spanish Wells Club and its property owners association, along with the management company overseeing the private community, were aware of rising alligator attacks in Hilton Head prior to the deadly incident on July 4, 2023, when Jenkins was attacked while walking her dog.

They allege that those responsible for the neighborhood failed to address the dangers posed by these “large and frequently dangerous animals,” despite prior commitments to offer “on-site alligator risk management services.” The family argues that residents relied on these assurances, yet Jenkins fell victim to a fatal attack within her own community.

The lawsuit states, “Residents reasonably relied upon defendants’ representations and assurances that they were managing and reducing the risks posed by alligators.” Tragically, Jenkins, a well-known member of the Spanish Wells neighborhood in Beaufort County, was fatally attacked by a 10-foot alligator during a walk in her community.

The complaint said Jenkins’ husband and her adult son were at her residence and saw their family dog in the backyard wearing its leash, with Jenkins nowhere to be found, after she said she was going to take the dog for a walk.

“The two men began to search the neighborhood for Holly,” the document recounted. “Holly’s son heard splashing in a pond near the family home. When he approached the pond on his golf cart, he saw his mother lying face down in the water with a large alligator swimming nearby.”

Jenkins’ son tried to distract the “massive” alligator to keep it away from her after contacting local authorities. The predator was killed upon their arrival.

“Jenkins was pronounced dead at the scene. She did not, however, die in the initial attack,” the complaint said. “A necropsy of the alligator revealed Ms. Jenkins’ foot and hand in its stomach.”

Jenkins’ family blamed her death on her community’s “failures to provide reasonably safe premises,” per the complaint.

“Upon information and belief, defendants were not, in fact, using reasonable measures to assess, understand, and reduce the risk posed by alligators in the Spanish Wells community,” the document charged. “As such, as of the date of Ms. Jenkins’ death, the ponds and lagoons had not been appropriately monitored, no effort had been made to identify ‘nuisance’ alligators that should have been removed, and defendants woefully underestimated the number of alligator depredation tags needed to appropriately protect residents and guests within Spanish Wells.”

The Spanish Wells Club and G.W. Services did not respond to Law&Crime’s requests for comment. They also failed to respond to requests for comment from the local newspaper The Island Packet.

An obituary for Jenkins that was published by the Packet described her as a “devoted wife, loving mother and grandmother, a dear sister, a loyal friend, and a proud dog mom.”