Boyfriend of Florida woman killed in alligator attack: She was amazing, caring

ORLANDO, Fla. - The boyfriend of Brittany Clark, the Florida woman who was attacked and killed by an alligator, remembered her as someone who was strong, caring, outgoing, and loved to be out on the water.

Chance Allison, his girlfriend, Brittany, and one of their friends, were hiking in the Little Big Econ State Forest when they stopped to swim in a river. While swimming, an alligator attacked and bit Clark, who died on the way to the hospital, officials said.

Allison was on the phone with 911 while also trying to get Clark out of the alligator's grip.

He shared a brief statement with FOX 35 earlier this week.

What they're saying:

"With this being such a traumatic event I do not think that I will be able to hold myself together to talk about her on Zoom or any other video platform. But what I can tell you is Brittany was such an amazing and caring person and didn’t deserve to go out in such a way," he said in a text message.

"She was the strongest and most outgoing person I've ever met in my 30 years of life. She loved her job where she operated a bulldozer running a dirt crew. And loved going out on the water every chance she could. Never in a million years would we have seen this nightmare come about."

Bodycam video released

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office on Thursday released less than a minute of body camera video from one of the deputies who responded to the scene.

The short clip showed a woman standing on a beach directing the deputy to a tent, where her boyfriend was assisting.

"Where are we?" the deputy asked.

"Under the tent," a woman responds.

2 massive alligators removed from Econlockhatchee River

After the attack, the FWC said it captured and killed two large alligators – a 12.5-foot alligator and a 13-foot alligator – that were found in the area.

DNA samples from both of those alligators have been sent to a lab to determine if either was the alligator that attacked Brittany Clark. Those results have not yet been announced.

No designated swimming at Little Big Econ State Forecast

A spokesperson for the Florida Forest Service told FOX 35 in an email that there are no designated swimming areas within the Little Big Econ State Forecast. That spokesperson told us that there was signage at a nearby trail head warning about potential alligator activity.

Third alligator incident in a week in Central Florida

• June 21: A man snorkeling in the Rainbow River at Rainbow Springs State Park was bitten by an alligator. He was taken to the hospital.
• June 27: A child was fishing at Nelson's Outdoor Resort when an alligator bit the child's hand, the FWC said. The child was taken to the hospital.
• June 28: A 31-year-old woman was swimming in Little Big Econ State Forest when she was attacked. She died.

FWC: Alligator attacks are rare, but gators can be found throughout Florida

The FWC said alligator attacks are considered to be rare, but not impossible. Gators can be found in nearly any body of water – lakes, rivers, ponds – throughout Florida's 67 counties.

Officials did not want to speculate about what may have caused the alligator to attack. However, they did mention that alligators can become territorial during mating season, which typically runs April - June.

Living with alligators in Florida

Here are some tips from the FWC:

• Never feed an alligator
• Never handle an alligator
• Keep your distance if you see one
• Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours
• Keep pets leashed and away from water

Alligator attack deaths in Florida

By the numbers:

The FWC tracks reported alligator bites each year including the severity of injuries: minor, major, and deadly. The data was last updated in February 2026, per FWC.

Here is a look at the last 10 years:

• 2025: 2 deaths; 8 major incidents, 5 minor incidents
• 2024: 0 deaths, 9 major incidents, 2 minor incidents
• 2023: 2 deaths, 18 major incidents, 5 minor incidents
• 2022: 2 deaths, 9 major incidents, 2 minor incidents
• 2021: 0 deaths, 7 major incidents, 2 minor incidents
• 2020: 0 deaths, 8 major incidents, 4 minor incidents
• 2019: 1 death, 5 major incidents, 5 minor incidents
• 2018: 1 death, 9 major incidents, 1 minor incident
• 2017: 0 deaths, 10 major incidents, 2 minor incidents
• 2016: 1 death, 8 major incidents, 0 minor incidents
• 2015: 1 death, 9 major incidents, 0 minor incidents

Nuisance alligators in Florida

The FWC contracts with trappers to harvest (capture and kill) nuisance alligators, generally an alligator that is larger than four feet in length and "believed to pose a threat to people." 

Alligators less than four feet are generally not considered to be a nuisance. However, if you see a small alligator in your pool or on your front porch, also contact the hotline for help, the FWC says on its website.

How to report a nuisance alligator:

• Call Nuisance Alligator Hotline: 866-FWC-GATOR
• Call Nuisance Alligator Hotline: 866-392-4286

The FWC said alligators typically cannot be relocated as they will try to return to where they were captured and any new site likely already has a healthy alligator population with established social structures.

Florida NewsAlligators