A relaxing dip in a Central Florida river turned into pure nightmare for 31-year-old Brittany Clark when a massive alligator attacked without warning, clamping down on both her arms and ripping one completely off.
Her boyfriend, Chance Allison, battled the 13-foot reptile in the shallow water, desperately trying to pry her free as blood filled the Econlockhatchee River near the Barr Street Trailhead in Little Big Econ State Forest.
The horrifying moments after the Sunday afternoon attack were captured in a chilling 911 call.
Clark and her group, including Allison and her best friend, had been hiking when they stopped around 1:30 p.m. to cool off in the river, which was only about three feet deep because of drought conditions.
Minutes earlier, they spotted bubbles rising in the murky water and laughed them off, never imagining what was lurking below.
Then the gator struck as Clark knelt in the water. It bit both arms, severing one completely and mauling the other.
Allison fought hard to free her from the beast’s jaws. He and the friend managed to drag her to shore, where he immediately called 911 while trying to stop the bleeding.
“Somebody got bit by a gator. Bad. Real bad. Please, hurry,” Allison says in the audio.
The best friend can be heard pleading: “Please hurry, that’s my best friend!”She described the gruesome scene: “One of her arms is completely off and the other one is like attached barely… Horrible.”“She’s losing a lot of blood… we need to stop the blood,” Allison adds.
Clark was rushed to a hospital as a trauma patient but died from her injuries on the way.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials responded quickly, along with Seminole County authorities. They captured and killed two large alligators in the area, a 13-footer right at the attack site and a 12.5-footer about half a mile away. DNA samples were collected to determine which one was responsible.
The trailhead was closed during the investigation.
Clark, an Orlando resident originally from California, loved the outdoors and working with heavy equipment. Loved ones described her as a fun-loving, strong spirit. A GoFundMe has been launched to help return her remains to her family in California.
This was the third reported alligator attack in Central Florida in about a week.FWC noted that serious alligator attacks remain rare but urged people to stay alert around Florida waterways, especially murky ones, keep a safe distance, and never swim in areas known for gators.
Warning signs about alligators are posted at the trailhead, and locals say big gators are commonly seen in the river.
What started as a peaceful hike and quick dip ended in unimaginable tragedy. The released 911 audio paints a raw, heartbreaking picture of a boyfriend’s desperate fight for the woman he loved, and a best friend’s frantic pleas as life slipped away on a quiet Florida riverbank.
