Family and witnesses are taking to social media, asking for prayers for a woman who was seriously injured by a large deer last week on Fripp Island.
“She was struck by a big buck who was spooked and running down Tarpon (Boulevard),” said the unidentified victim’s mother-in-law in a Facebook post.
“He apparently didn’t know how to avoid people, so he struck her, we think possibly trying to jump over her.”
Witnesses say it happened last Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, as people headed to watch a parade in the gated community not far from Beaufort. They say the parade was delayed for about 30 minutes while medics attended to the injured woman.
“She has injuries from the impact of the deer and from the impact with the pavement,” said the woman's mother-in-law. “It was horrific. She had surgery at MUSC and is in the ICU there.”
South Carolina Public Radio has reached out to the victim's family about her condition and is waiting to hear back.
Master Sgt. Danny Allen confirms the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office did receive a 9-1-1 call about a woman who’d suffered a head injury after being struck by a deer. He says the local fire department responded to what he called a “freak accident.” Although, he adds, he’s not that surprised by what happened.
“There are a lot of deer on the island,” Sgt. Allen said.
Fripp Island, a community of roughly 1,000 people, prides itself as a designated wildlife sanctuary with a variety of creatures including alligators, turtles, dolphins, snakes and deer. Its website says the island is home to a large herd of whitetail deer and discourages people from trying to touch or feed them.
