Don’t mess with alligators. If you do, you might end up like this South Carolina woman.

According to USA Today, Cynthia Covert wanted to get her nails done. Unfortunately, this was at the height of COVID, meaning that few nail salons were operating. One nail technician, Barbara Howell, offered to do Covert’s nails on her property. However, when Covert arrived, she was holding a glass of wine and “acting strange.”

@professor_koala Would you have done this? #alligator #southcarolina #nailsalon #tiktokhalloween #scary #crocodile #mothernature ♬ original sound - Professor Koala

While the two were hanging out, Covert spotted an alligator. Howell warned her not to get closer, as the gator has previously been seen eating a deer. But Covert was undeterred. “I don’t look like a deer,” Covert allegedly responded, reaching out to the animal.

This, as it turns out, was the wrong move. The beast quickly latched onto her leg, pulling her into the water. Howell, understandably, began to freak out, screaming so loudly that it alerted her husband. William Howell arrived with a rope, hoping to be able to toss it to Covert and rescue her from the gator’s ferocious grip.

Throughout all of this, Covert was alarmingly calm. After grabbing the rope, she simply stated, “I guess I won’t do this again” — at which point, the alligator dragged her into the water. Ten to fifteen minutes later, her body surfaced.

When the gator resurfaced, police officers were able to shoot it dead. Covert, however, had already passed away. The police reported her cause of death as drowning.

So if you’re going to try to take a picture with an animal, make sure it’s of the cute and cuddly kind and not the “kill you” variety.