Woman killed in horrific alligator attack as boyfriend desperately attempted to save her
A woman has died after being mauled by an alligator at a state park in Florida as her boyfriend desperately attempted to save her.
Brittany Clark was hiking with her boyfriend Chance Allison and a friend through Little Big Econ State Forest on Sunday (28 June) when they took a dip in the Econlockhatchee River.
The trio were kneeling in around three-feet of water when the alligator suddenly attacked, biting Clark’s arms and ripping one arm ‘completely off’.
“They were hiking and they just stopped to swim,” Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson Chad Weber told reporters at a press conference on Monday.
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“She was bitten on both of her arms. The boyfriend was the one that made the phone call. He was trying to get her from the alligator’s mouth, and on the way to the hospital she did pass away from her injuries.”
Weber said that the investigation found no signs anyone had acted maliciously towards the alligator and suggested that it may have attacked due to low water levels or typical territorial behaviour.
A medical examiner's report obtained by the Daily Mail revealed that the victim’s boyfriend heroically tried to fend off the gator.
“Her boyfriend Chance grabbed the alligator trying to get it to release her when it took them both underwater,” the report stated.
It goes on to say that he was able to get the alligator to release her arm ‘for a moment' but then it clamped its jaws onto her other arm instead.
“Chance attempted to bring them both to shore when the alligator finally let go and CPR was started on shore by her boyfriend, and 911 was called,” the report reads.
In a harrowing 911 call from the scene, screams can be heard as Allison tells the call handler he is still ‘trying to get her arms away’ from the animal’s mouth.
“Both her arms are dislocated – off basically,” the caller said.
“One arm is completely off.”
Weber said two alligators - one 12-feet long and another measuring 13-feet - were captured at the scene and killed. DNA samples from the alligators were obtained and sent to a lab in the hopes of determining if either was responsible.
Clark’s family have since paid tribute with her older brother Nick telling Fox 35: "She was an amazing person; she was nice and helpful with anyone that needed any kind of help."
In a statement, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said: “The FWC extends its deepest sympathies to the victim’s family and loved ones.
“Our thoughts are with you during this difficult time.”
The hiking route where the horrific incident took place has since been closed until further notice.
The attack on Sunday is the third alligator incident in a week in Central Florida.
On 21 June a man snorkeling in Rainbow River was attacked and taken to hospital, and just six days later a child fishing at Nelson’s Outdoor Resort was bitten on the hand by a gator and had to be taken to hospital.
The FWC says attacks on humans are rare in Florida.
A 2022 report commissioned by the FWC found an average of about eight alligator bites annually and 26 fatalities since 1948.
Topics: US News
Claire Reid