A Florida woman who was mauled to death by a 13ft alligator was freed from its grip by her boyfriend and still had a faint pulse when rescuers reached her, but died on the way to hospital.
Attack in State Forest
Brittany Clark, 31, had been hiking with her boyfriend Chance Allison, friends, and her dogs in Little Big Econ State Forest, northeast of Orlando, on June 28. The group stopped to swim in the Econlockhatchee River. Brittany was standing in about three feet of water when the alligator lunged and grabbed her arm, pulling her into a death roll.
Chance bravely wrestled the animal, but was dragged into the water. The alligator briefly released Brittany before biting her other arm. Chance continued fighting and eventually freed her from the gator's grip. The alligator retreated, but Brittany had severe injuries.
Emergency Response
Chance and Brittany's best friend pulled her to the riverbank while others called 911. Recordings captured the panic. 'Bad, real bad please, hurry… she's losing a lot of… please hurry,' one caller said. When asked how severe her injuries were, the caller replied: 'Horrible.' Both arms were badly injured. A medical examiner's report said Brittany suffered a partially severed left arm and an open fracture to her right arm, according to Fox11.
First responders detected a faint pulse before rushing her to hospital. Brittany died during the journey and was pronounced dead at 2.48pm, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Alligator Captured and Killed
Wildlife officers captured and killed two alligators near the scene: one 12.5ft and one 13ft. DNA testing confirmed the larger animal killed Brittany. Officials haven't said what caused the attack.
Boyfriend's Tribute
Chance later paid tribute on Facebook: 'I'm just still in disbelief of what took place. We had so many things planned out and memories to be made. You were such a special person and did not deserve to go out in such a way. I love you and don't worry about shady and hokie I'll take care of them.' Shady and Hokie are Brittany's dogs.
Chance told The New York Post: 'While we were waiting for emergency services to arrive Brittany just told me to make sure I took care of Hokie. It was one of the last things she said to me. I can't recall anything else.'
Alligator Attacks in Florida
Officials noted alligators can become territorial during mating season (April to June). Brittany's death was the third alligator attack in Florida within seven days. Despite this, fatal encounters are rare. FWC data recorded two deaths in Florida last year and two in 2023, with one each in 2022, 2019, 2018, and 2016. The FWC advises swimming only in designated areas, keeping distance from alligators, and never feeding them.
