FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (AP) — A 10-foot alligator has been shot and killed in the surf at Folly Beach southeast of Charleston.

Public Safety Director Dennis Brown says the alligator was spotted around 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Angus McBride with the Department of Natural Resources says it's not unusual for alligators to get caught in tidal waters and end up in the ocean. McBride said alligators do not like salt water.

Alligatorspecialist Ray Covington with Nuisance Removal Wildlife Service shot the gator in the head and hauled it away.

Some people complained about shooting the alligator on the beach but Covington says the animal was sick and was too large to relocate.

Kayla Brennan of James Island was there when the gator was shot. She said she understands Covington's point, but the experience was very upsetting.

A lot of people standing around burst into tears, Brennan said.

"I think people are still pretty shocked, even with the explanation," she said.

Covington says it would have been too dangerous to try to remove the alligator and shoot it elsewhere.