Heartbreaking photos show Florida hiker Brittany Clark, 31, who was dismembered by alligator (Image: Facebook)
A woman who perished following a tragic alligator attack in central Florida last week has been identified, with distressing 911 recordings and a detailed medical account revealing her harrowing final moments.
Brittany Clark, 31, had been walking through the Little Big Econ State Forest with her boyfriend, Chance Allison, and another friend on Sunday when the group decided to swim in a river shortly after 1:30pm. Harrowing 911 audio captures how an alligator brutally attacked Brittany and severed both of her arms while she was in the water.
The desperate audio reportedly shows Chance telephoned emergency services while attempting to fight off the creature. Screams and crying were allegedly heard in the background as he told the 911 dispatcher that he was “still trying to get her arms away from the alligator’s mouth”.
Moments later, he conveyed to the dispatcher that “both her arms, both her arms are off”. Brittany’s friend could be heard saying that one arm was “hanging by a thread.”
When the dispatcher asked about the location of the other arm, the friend responded: “Gone.”
Chance described the attack to the dispatcher as “bad, real bad” while pleading with emergency personnel to “please hurry.
“She’s losing a lot of…” he said before his voice trailed off. He told the dispatcher that the gator eventually “went away” but that Brittany had suffered “horrible” injuries.
He explained that he and his companion had pulled Brittany from the water. “We’re far off the trail, we’re off of a little launch area by the river… We need help now!” he urgently told the dispatcher.
Chance desperately tried to fight the alligator off (Image: Chance Allison/Facebook)
“You may see a helicopter. If you see it, just try and flag it down if you can,” the dispatcher instructed. Chance’s frantic attempts to save Brittany were also recorded in a medical examiner’s report.
The group had been swimming in “shoulder-deep water” in the Econlockhatchee River when the alligator suddenly grabbed Brittany and began a “death roll,” as outlined in the report obtained by the Daily Mail.
A “death roll” is a hunting technique used by alligators to subdue their victims. The manoeuvre involves the reptile rotating onto its back while attempting to drag its prey beneath the surface in order to drown them.
Brittany was swimming during a hike when she was attacked (Image: Facebook)
“Her boyfriend Chance grabbed the alligator trying to get it to release her when it took them both underwater,” according to the report. Chance managed to force the predator to release Brittany’s arm “for a moment,” but it subsequently clamped down on her opposite arm.
Chance attempted to bring them both to shore when the alligator finally let go and CPR was started on shore by her boyfriend, and 911 was called,” the report documents. Brittany tragically lost her life while being transported to hospital.
Following the fatal incident, wildlife officials put down the alligator responsible and severed its head, retaining it as evidence. Barr Street Trailhead, the popular hiking trail that Brittany had been visiting, has been closed indefinitely.