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Authorities identified the woman who was tragically killed Sunday after an alligator, believed to be a “very large” 13-footer, bit her arms off while she was swimming with friends in the Econlockhatchee River in Central Florida.
Brittany Clark of Orlando was swimming near the Barr Street Trailhead in the Little Big Econ State Forest when the attack happened. She was taken to a hospital as a trauma alert but died from her injuries on the way, officials said at a Monday afternoon news conference.
Sunday’s deadly attack, detailed in a 911 call, was the second alligator attack in 24 hours in Central Florida and the third reported in the region in a week, according to FWC officials.
“Bad, real bad please, hurry … she’s losing a lot of … please hurry … ” a frantic 911 caller said, according to emergency calls obtained by local media Monday. “Someone got bit by a gator….”
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Brittany Clark is pictured aboard a boat. Clark died after an alligator attacked her while she was swimming in the Econlockhatchee River in Central Florida, officials said. (Brittany Clark via Facebook )
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued urgent warnings on Monday that alligators who have come to “associate people” with food have to be reported immediately and “removed from the wild.”
“The FWC extends its deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of the victim during this difficult time,” FWC press secretary Ashlee Brahier Sklute told Fox News Digital in a statement, sentiment that was echoed by FWC officials at the news conference.
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Brittany Clark was fatally attacked by an alligator in the Econlockhatchee River, officials said. (Brittany Clark via Facebook)
According to a medical examiner’s report obtained by the Daily Mail, Clark had been hiking with her boyfriend, Chance Allison, and another friend before the group entered the river. The report said Allison and the other friend pulled Clark to shore after the alligator attacked her, and CPR was started before first responders arrived.
FWC officers, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and a trapper responded to the river.
“Multiple agencies and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper have responded to the scene,” Sklute said, detailing the ongoing investigation.
Officials told reporters at the news conference that a “very large 13-foot alligator” was “harvested” from the area of the incident, warning the current “mating season” makes dangerous alligators “very territorial.” Another 11-foot alligator was also “harvested” from very close by, according to officials.
The fatal attack came one day after a child was bitten in the hand by an alligator while fishing from shore at Nelson Fish Camp near Umatilla in Marion County, FWC said. The child was taken to a hospital for treatment, and an FWC officer later captured and killed an alligator that measured 8 feet, 7 inches, according to the FWC.
A week earlier, a snorkeler was bitten by an alligator in the Rainbow River in Marion County, prompting officials to temporarily close the waterway while FWC and deputies searched for the animal. Authorities later removed an 8-foot alligator, and the snorkeler was released from the hospital.
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The Little Big Econlockhatchee Wildlife Management Area was the scene of a deadly alligator attack that has Florida officials warning of urgently reporting alligators who have developed a taste for human flesh. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group)
FWC says serious injuries from alligators are rare, but the agency warns that alligators are active across Florida, especially during courtship and mating season in spring and early summer. Florida is home to about 1.3 million alligators, and the animals live in all 67 counties, according to FWC.
“The FWC places the highest priority on public safety and administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) to address complaints concerning specific alligators believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property,” the agency wrote in its statement to Fox News Digital.
“People with concerns about an alligator should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286),” they said. “When someone concerned about an alligator calls the Nuisance Alligator Hotline, we will dispatch one of our contracted nuisance alligator trappers to resolve the situation.”
A few safety recommendations for individuals coming into contact with an alligator, according to FWC: “Keep a safe distance” and “keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge.”
“Pets often resemble alligators’ natural prey,” FWC warns. “Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours and without your pet. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn.”
Brittany Clark, whose death prompted renewed warnings from Florida wildlife officials about alligator safety, is shown in an undated photo. (Brittany Clark via Facebook)
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Also, “never feed an alligator; it’s illegal and dangerous.”
“When fed, alligators can lose their natural wariness and instead learn to associate people with the availability of food,” the FWC added. “This can lead to an alligator becoming a nuisance and needing to be removed from the wild.”