Father of Florida woman killed in alligator attack honors daughter: She loved people, nature, adventure

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - In the middle of an unimaginable loss, Robert Clark, the father of Brittany Clark, the woman who was attacked and killed by an alligator while exploring with friends, said his heart is completely full of gratitude for her boyfriend and her best friend who stayed by his daughter's side during the tragic event.

"I just want them to know they are so loved," he said. "They did everything they could do to make it better for her before she ultimately passed."

Brittany loved people, nature, and adventure

Robert said his daughter loved people and nature and embraced every adventure that life offered. 

"She loved riding motorcycles, skydiving, scuba diving, playing in the water, hiking with her dogs, hiking with her friends, and seeing new places," he said.

How do you prevent something like this from happening?

Robert said his family is understandably grieving – and grieving hard. But, he said he does hope there are changes that can be made to prevent a situation like what happened from happening again.

"More warning signs, maybe to give hunters more permits to regulate the population," Clark said.

Brittany's family and her boyfriend are focused immediately on honoring her memory. Chance, her boyfriend, said in a Facebook post that he is planning a celebration of life.

The backstory:

Brittany Clark, her boyfriend, Chance Allison, and her best friend were hiking near the Barr Street trailhead in the Little Big Econ State Forest when they stopped to cool in the river.

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said Brittany was in about three feet of water when she was attacked by what has been described as a large alligator. She was bit on both of her arms – and her boyfriend, Chance, was on the phone with 911 while trying to save her.

Clark was eventually freed from the gator and brought to the beach. She was rushed to an ambulance and died on the way to the hospital. 

Body camera video released Thursday shows a deputy running along the trail to where the attack happened and quickly pulling out a tourniquet from a medical bag.

FWC said it captured and killed two large alligators – a 12.5-foot alligator and a 13-foot alligator – found in the area and sent DNA samples to a lab to determine which one attacked Clark.

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

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