Brittany Clark, 31, of Orlando, died after being attacked by an alligator while swimming in the Econlockhatchee River at Little Big Econ State Forest on Sunday. Her boyfriend, Chance Allison, fought desperately to rescue her and made a frantic 911 call.
Attack Details
The pair had been hiking and stopped to swim in about three feet of water, approximately 25 miles northeast of Orlando. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the alligator grabbed Clark by the arm and began a "death roll," a spinning motion used to subdue prey.
A post-mortem examination obtained by the Daily Mail states: "While they were swimming, an alligator grabbed [Ms Clark] by her arm and began the 'death roll.' Her boyfriend Chance grabbed the alligator, trying to get it to release her when it took them both underwater."
Boyfriend's 911 Call
In the distressing 911 audio, Allison can be heard telling the call handler: "Both her arms are dislocated - off basically," before stating: "One arm is completely off." Screams and sobs are audible as he begs for help, explaining he is "still trying to get her arms away from the alligator's mouth" and that she is "losing a lot of blood."
The post-mortem report notes that Allison succeeded in freeing her arm "for a moment," but the reptile seized her other arm. "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 states.
Response and Investigation
FWC spokesman Chad Weber told journalists on Monday: "It doesn't seem they were doing anything malicious. They were in approximately 3ft of water." He added: "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 confirmed that authorities removed and euthanized two alligators—measuring 12 feet and 13 feet—from the river and sent them for DNA testing. "We offer our condolences to this young lady's family," he said, declining to reveal the victim's identity.
Alligator Attacks in Florida
According to the FWC, there are on average about eight unprovoked alligator attacks recorded annually. Since 1948, Florida has seen just 26 fatal alligator attacks. The state is home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators.
