SEMINOLE COUNTY — Brittany Clark, 31, died from multiple blunt force injuries sustained during an alligator attack on June 28 in the Econlockhatchee River within Little Big Econ State Forest in Seminole County. The Orange County Associate Medical Examiner ruled the manner of death an accident.

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. while Clark was swimming in waist- to chest-deep water with her boyfriend, Chance Allison, and a friend. An alligator grabbed Clark by the arm and performed a "death roll," repeatedly pulling her underwater. Allison attempted to rescue Clark by fighting the alligator and bringing her to shore.

After the alligator released her, CPR was performed on Clark on the shore. She died from her injuries while emergency responders were transporting her to a hospital. Allison identified Clark's body at Orlando Regional Medical Center on the day of the attack.

An examination revealed that Clark suffered near-complete traumatic amputation of her left arm at the shoulder and near-complete traumatic amputation of her right forearm. She also had teeth marks on her left shoulder blade and collarbone, as well as lacerations on her back.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials removed two alligators from the river and euthanized them. One measured 13 feet and the other measured 12.5 feet. DNA testing linked Clark to the 13-foot alligator.

Clark worked as a heavy construction equipment operator and had attained the role of foreman. The Econlockhatchee River is a 54.5-mile-long north-flowing blackwater tributary of the St. Johns River that flows through Osceola, Orange, and Seminole counties in Florida.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported an average of about eight unprovoked alligator bites annually and 26 fatalities since 1948. This incident adds to the historical record of such attacks in the state.

Why It Matters

This fatal incident contributes to the historical record of 26 alligator-related deaths in Florida since 1948, maintaining the state's average of approximately eight unprovoked bites annually. The confirmation of a 13-foot alligator as the attacker through DNA testing shows the specific danger posed by large reptiles in public waterways like the Econlockhatchee River. Such events reinforce the potential for lethal outcomes even when victims are in waist- to chest-deep water during daylight hours.