A 31-year-old woman was killed by an alligator while swimming in a Florida river on Sunday. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission identified the victim as Brittany Clark, of Orlando.
Clark, her boyfriend, and her best friend had been hiking near the Barr Street Trailhead along the Econlockhatchee River in Seminole County, just north of Orlando, when they stopped to swim. They were standing in about three feet of water when an alligator bit Clark on both arms, according to FWC spokesperson Chad Weber.
"The boyfriend was the one that made the [911] phone call. He was trying to get her from the alligator's mouth," Weber said at a news conference Monday. Clark died on the way to the hospital.
Two alligators in the area were captured and killed. One, measuring 13 feet, was found at the location of the attack. A second, measuring 12 and a half feet, was found half a mile away. The FWC noted that 13 feet is considered a very large alligator. Samples from both have been collected and the investigation is ongoing.
Maj. Jay Russell with the FWC called the incident "incredibly tragic." The attack came two days after a 28-year-old man was killed by a crocodile on a popular beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
