Alligator Attack Victim has been identified as 31-year-old Brittany Clark after a fatal incident in Central Florida. Wildlife officials renewed public safety warnings following the attack. Authorities said Clark suffered fatal injuries while swimming in the Econlockhatchee River near the Barr Street Trailhead in the Little Big Econ State Forest.
Officials identified Clark, an Orlando resident, during a Monday news conference. Investigators said she entered the river with friends when a large alligator attacked her. Emergency responders transported her to a hospital as a trauma alert. She died from her injuries before arriving.
Authorities said the attack happened on Sunday. A frantic 911 caller reported that an alligator had bitten Clark. The caller urgently requested emergency assistance and pleaded for first responders to arrive quickly.
According to a medical examiner’s report, Clark had been hiking with her boyfriend, Chance Allison, and another friend. The group later entered the river together. After the attack, Allison and the second friend pulled Clark from the water. They brought her to shore and immediately started CPR before emergency personnel arrived.
Wildlife officers, Seminole County Sheriff’s deputies, and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper responded to the scene. During the investigation, officials removed a very large alligator measuring about 13 feet. They also removed another alligator measuring approximately 11 feet from a nearby location.
Wildlife officials said alligators become especially territorial during courtship and mating season. That period occurs during spring and early summer. They urged residents to report any alligator that appears to associate people with food. Trained personnel can then respond and remove dangerous animals when necessary.
The agency expressed sympathy to Clark’s family and loved ones. Officials also confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing. They emphasized that protecting public safety remains their highest priority.
The fatal attack marked the second reported alligator attack within 24 hours in Central Florida. It also became the third reported incident in the region during the previous week. One day earlier, an alligator bit a child on the hand while the child fished from shore at Nelson Fish Camp near Umatilla in Marion County. The child received hospital treatment. Wildlife officers later captured and removed an alligator measuring 8 feet, 7 inches.
About one week before Clark’s death, an alligator bit a snorkeler in the Rainbow River in Marion County. Authorities temporarily closed the waterway while officers searched for the animal. Officials later removed an alligator measuring about 8 feet. The injured snorkeler was later released from the hospital.
Wildlife officials stressed that serious alligator attacks remain uncommon. Florida has an estimated 1.3 million alligators living across all 67 counties. Officials encouraged residents to stay alert whenever they spend time near freshwater habitats.
Authorities also reminded the public to keep a safe distance from alligators. They advised pet owners to keep animals on leashes and away from the water’s edge. Officials warned that pets can resemble natural prey. They also advised people to swim only in designated areas during daylight hours because alligators are generally most active between dusk and dawn.
Officials also reminded residents that feeding alligators is illegal and dangerous. They explained that feeding wildlife teaches alligators to associate people with food. That behavior increases the risk of dangerous encounters and often requires authorities to remove the animal from the wild.
Alligator Attack Victim remains the focus of an ongoing investigation. Authorities continue reviewing the circumstances surrounding the fatal incident while reinforcing public safety guidance across Florida.
