Woman killed by alligator while swimming in Florida: Officials
A 31-year-old woman was killed by an alligator while swimming in a river in Florida, officials said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission identified the victim on Tuesday as Brittany Clark, of Orlando.
Clark, her boyfriend and her best friend were hiking on Sunday when they stopped to swim in the Econlockhatchee River near the Barr Street Trailhead in Seminole County, just north of Orlando, according to the FWC.
They were in about 3 feet of water when an alligator bit Clark on both arms, FWC spokesperson Chad Weber said.
"The boyfriend was the one that made the [911] phone call. He was trying to get her from the alligator's mouth," Weber said at a news conference Monday.
The woman died on the way to the hospital, Weber said.
Two alligators in the area -- one 13 feet long found at the location of the incident and the other 12 1/2 feet long found half a mile away -- have been captured and killed, according to officials. The FWC noted that 13 feet is considered a very large alligator.
Samples from both alligators have been collected and the investigation is ongoing, the FWC said Tuesday.
Maj. Jay Russell with the FWC called the incident "incredibly tragic."
This attack comes two days after a 28-year-old man was killed by a crocodile on a popular beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
