Florida Wildlife Officials Confirm Fatal Gator Attack on Orlando Woman During River Incident

In a chilling development, wildlife authorities have confirmed that DNA from a Florida woman was matched to a massive 13-foot alligator apprehended following a lethal attack in a river last month.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) revealed that laboratory tests definitively linked DNA from Brittany Clark, aged 31, to a considerable 13-foot alligator captured after the tragic incident near the Econlockhatchee River on June 28.

Clark, an Orlando resident, was enjoying a swim close to the Barr Street Trailhead within the Little Big Econ State Forest when the horrific attack occurred. She was urgently transported to a nearby hospital as a trauma alert, but unfortunately, she did not survive the journey, according to officials.

According to a preliminary report from the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office obtained by Fox News affiliate WOFL-TV, Clark was swimming in shoulder-deep water with her boyfriend, Chance Allison, and another friend when the alligator grabbed her arm and began what investigators described as a “death roll.”

“[Allison] grabbed the alligator trying to get it to release [Clark] … when it took them both underwater releasing [Clark] for a moment and then grabbing her other arm,” the report said.

Once the alligator let go, Allison brought Clark to shore and called 911, the report said. Brief body camera video captured a Seminole County deputy responding to the attack.

An alligator’s “death roll” is when the reptile latches on to potential prey and violently spins in the water to subdue or dismember it, according to the National Institute of Health.

After the attack, FWC trappers captured and killed two huge alligators — 12.5-foot and 13-foot gators — and sent their DNA to a lab to determine if either animal was the one that killed Clark.

According to the FWC, bite marks found on Clark’s arm were consistent with the front row teeth of the 13-foot alligator found at the river.

“The FWC’s investigation into this incident remains active,” the agency said.

The FWC said serious injuries caused by alligators are uncommon in Florida, although alligators can be found in lakes, rivers, ponds and other freshwater bodies across all 67 counties.

Officials said they are not speculating about what prompted the attack but noted that alligators can become more territorial during their mating season, which typically runs from April through June.

A few safety recommendations for individuals coming into contact with an alligator, according to the FWC: “Keep a safe distance” and “keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge.”

“Pets often resemble alligators’ natural prey,” officials warned. “Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours and without your pet. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn.”

Also, “never feed an alligator; it’s illegal and dangerous.”

“When fed, alligators can lose their natural wariness and instead learn to associate people with the availability of food,” the FWC added. “This can lead to an alligator becoming a nuisance and needing to be removed from the wild.”

People with concerns about an alligator should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at  866-FWC-GATOR.