The father of Brittany Clark, a 31-year-old hiker killed in a brutal alligator attack, described the tragic circumstances surrounding her death, including a distressing call from her roommate as she was bleeding out.
Clark was swimming with her boyfriend, Chance Allison, and her roommate, Jayden Hernandez, in the Econlockhatchee River at Little Big Econ State Forest when a roughly 13-foot alligator attacked her on Sunday. Authorities stated that Allison attempted to free Clark from the gator's jaws during the attack.
Robert Clark, Brittany's father, told The Post that he received a call from Hernandez while the attack was in progress, with emergency services en route. "They were trying to keep her alive and waiting for the authorities to show up," he recounted.
Clark was transported to a hospital but is believed to have succumbed to significant blood loss. The incident occurred just days after the Clark family had mourned the death of Brittany's grandmother, Barbara, 80.
Hernandez had previously mentioned that the group had joked about the possibility of an alligator in the shallow, murky water where they were standing. "There were air bubbles within our little triangle we made with our bodies in the water and I commented on how it might be a sneaky gator," Hernandez wrote on Facebook. "Chance, Brittany’s boyfriend, swam right over it to show nothing was there and nothing was there."
According to Hernandez, Clark had also made a lighthearted comment about the situation, which they all found amusing. "And just a few minutes later my bestfriend got attacked," Hernandez stated.
Robert Clark, a semi-retired motorcycle technician and former U.S. Navy serviceman, has called for Florida wildlife authorities to take greater measures to manage alligator populations and inform the public about potential dangers.