Brittany Clark, 31, was mauled to death by a 13-foot alligator in Florida's Little Big Econ State Forest on June 28. Her boyfriend, Chance Allison, wrestled the reptile and freed her, but she died en route to hospital.
Attack Details
The couple was hiking with friends and Brittany's dogs when they stopped to swim in the Econlockhatchee River. Brittany stood in about three feet of water when the alligator lunged, grabbing her arm and pulling her into a death roll. Chance fought the animal, was dragged underwater, and the gator briefly released Brittany before biting her other arm. Chance eventually freed her, and the alligator retreated.
Emergency Response
911 recordings captured the panic. One caller said, 'Bad, real bad please, hurry… she's losing a lot of… please hurry.' When asked about her injuries, the caller replied, 'Horrible.' First responders found a faint pulse, but she died during transport, pronounced dead at 2:48 pm.
Aftermath and Tribute
Wildlife officers captured and killed two alligators; DNA confirmed the 13-foot one was responsible. Chance paid tribute on Facebook: 'I'm just still in disbelief… You were such a special person and did not deserve to go out in such a way.' He promised to care for her dogs, Shady and Hokie. Brittany's last words to him were, 'Make sure I took care of Hokie.'
Context and Safety
This was the third alligator attack in Florida in seven days. Fatal encounters are rare: two deaths in 2024, two in 2023, and one each in 2022, 2019, 2018, and 2016. The FWC advises swimming only in designated areas, keeping pets leashed away from water, and never feeding alligators.
