A 31-year-old woman died after being mauled by a 13-foot alligator in central Florida on Sunday, June 28, despite her boyfriend's desperate attempts to rescue her.
Attack in the Econlockhatchee River
Brittany Clark was hiking with her boyfriend and a friend near the Econlockhatchee River in Seminole County. She decided to take a dip in the water, which was about 3 feet deep at the time of the attack. Around 1:30 p.m., the alligator suddenly grabbed her arm and began a 'death roll,' according to Grant Eller, a lieutenant with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Her boyfriend immediately jumped in and tried to pry the alligator's jaws open. He managed to free one of her arms briefly, but the reptile seized the other arm and pulled both of them underwater. The boyfriend eventually escaped, but Clark suffered severe injuries, including a severed arm, and died at the scene.
911 Call and Emergency Response
The boyfriend called 911, and the harrowing audio, obtained by NBC News, captures his frantic pleas. 'Somebody got bit by a gator. Bad. Real bad,' he can be heard saying. 'Please, hurry.' He added, 'One of them is hanging on by a thread, and the other one's off.'
First responders arrived quickly, but Clark was pronounced dead. A medical examiner's report confirmed the cause of death as traumatic injuries from the alligator attack.
Alligator Removed and Investigation Ongoing
Wildlife officials later captured and euthanized a 13-foot alligator believed to be the one responsible. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the incident, which is rare for the area. Alligator attacks are uncommon in Florida, but officials remind residents to avoid swimming in waters known to harbor large reptiles.
