Overview
- A 31‑year‑old woman, Brittany Clark, was fatally attacked while wading with friends and dogs in the Econlockhatchee River after the group stopped to swim, and emergency responders later pronounced her dead from catastrophic injuries.
- Wildlife trappers working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission captured and euthanized two large alligators after the June 28 incident and sent tissue samples to a Gainesville lab for DNA analysis.
- The Orange County medical examiner reported that bite marks on Clark’s arm are consistent with the front row of teeth of one of the captured alligators, and FWC officials say preliminary bite‑mark comparison points to a roughly 12‑foot animal.
- Investigators still await DNA confirmation of the match and the FWC review remains active; the medical examiner requested the animals’ stomach contents but was told those contents had been buried, raising questions about evidence preservation.
- Authorities have restricted access at the Barr Street Trailhead, reiterated safety guidance for swimming only in designated areas and not feeding wildlife, and warned that low water and seasonal behavior can increase human‑gator encounters this summer.