A 31-year-old woman, identified as Brittany Clark, died Sunday in central Florida following a severe alligator attack that resulted in the loss of both her arms. The incident occurred in the Econlockhatchee River within the Little Big Econ State Forest, approximately 20 miles northeast of Orlando.
Clark was with her boyfriend, Chance Allison, and a friend when they entered the shoulder-deep water around 1:30 p.m. According to a medical examiner's report, an alligator approached the group and attacked Clark, initially grabbing her arm and initiating a "death roll," a maneuver where the reptile violently twists to subdue prey and pull it underwater.
Allison reportedly intervened, attempting to free Clark from the alligator's grasp. The report states that he managed to get the alligator to release one arm momentarily, but the animal then attacked her other arm. Allison, with the help of Clark's friend, managed to pull her from the water. He then began CPR while the friend called 911.
Chilling 911 audio from the scene captured Allison's desperate attempts to save Clark, including his pleas to responders that he was still trying to separate her arms from the alligator's mouth. At one point, he informed the dispatcher that both of Clark's arms had been severed, while her friend reported one arm was "hanging by a thread" and the other was "gone."
Allison described the situation as "bad, real bad" and urged emergency services to hurry. He told the operator that the alligator eventually retreated. Clark sustained critical injuries, and CPR efforts on shore were unsuccessful.
In the aftermath of the attack, officials located and euthanized a 12-foot alligator believed to be responsible. The animal's head was taken as evidence. The Barr Street Trailhead, a popular access point to the area, has been closed indefinitely.
This incident marks the third alligator-related event in central Florida in the past week. Previous attacks were reported at Rainbow River and another in the same county where a child was injured. While alligator attacks on humans are considered rare by the Florida Wildlife Commission, increased territorial behavior is common during the mating season, which typically runs from April through June.