Authorities have identified Brittany Clark, 31, of Orlando, as the woman fatally attacked by a suspected 13-foot alligator while swimming with friends in the Econlockhatchee River in Central Florida. The attack occurred Sunday near the Barr Street Trailhead in the Little Big Econ State Forest. Clark was transported to a hospital as a trauma alert but succumbed to her injuries en route.
This incident marks the third reported alligator attack in Central Florida within the past week and the second in 24 hours. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), a "very large 13-foot alligator" was harvested from the area of the attack, and an additional 11-foot alligator was also removed from nearby.
The FWC issued warnings following the incident, emphasizing the need to immediately report alligators that have begun to associate people with food. "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 stated.
According to a medical examiner's report, Clark had been hiking with her boyfriend, Chance Allison, and another friend before they entered the river. Allison and the friend reportedly pulled Clark to shore after the attack, and CPR was administered before first responders arrived. Multiple agencies and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper responded to the scene.
The fatal attack followed a child's injury from an alligator bite while fishing in Marion County the previous day. In that incident, an 8-foot, 7-inch alligator was captured and killed. A week prior, a snorkeler in the Rainbow River in Marion County was bitten by an alligator, leading to a temporary closure of the waterway until an 8-foot alligator was removed.
FWC officials noted that while serious alligator injuries are rare, the animals are active across Florida, particularly during the spring and early summer mating season, which can make them more territorial. Florida is home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators living in all 67 counties.
The Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) addresses concerns about alligators posing a threat to people, pets, or property. The FWC advises the public to maintain a safe distance from alligators, keep pets on leashes and away from water's edge, swim only in designated areas during daylight hours, and never feed alligators, as this is illegal and dangerous and can lead to alligators losing their natural wariness of humans.