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Newly released footage shows Florida deputy responding to fatal alligator attack

July 3, 2026 | | Print Article

Newly released body-camera footage shows the moment a Florida deputy arrived at the location where a woman had been mauled by an alligator.

The woman, 31-year-old Orlando resident Brittany Clark, was swimming in the Econlockhatchee River with her boyfriend and best friend on Sunday when she was attacked by an alligator that performed a “death roll” maneuver on her.

Her boyfriend, Chance Allison, then battled the alligator and was able to pull her away from it and back onto shore while her best friend called 911.

Listen to the frantic call below:

The best friend told the 911 operator that “both” of Clark’s “arms are dislocated” and that “one arm is completely off.”

When a Seminole County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived on the scene shortly thereafter, he removed a tourniquet from his bag to apply to Clark’s devastating and ultimately fatal wounds.

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Watch:

Clark was later declared dead at a nearby hospital.

“I’m just still in disbelief of what took place,” Allison wrote on Facebook, according to People magazine. “We had so many things planned out and memories to be made.”

“You were such a special person and did not deserve to go out in such a way. I love you and don’t worry about shady and hokie I’ll take care of them forever,” he added.

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), meanwhile, confirmed that a 13-foot gator was found at the scene of the attack while a smaller 12.5-foot gator was found downstream. Both were captured and killed.

It’s not clear yet whether these two alligators were the ones responsible for Clark’s death. What’s known is that neither Clark nor her boyfriend and bestie had been purposefully bothering the alligators.

“It doesn’t seem like they were doing anything that was malicious to an alligator,” FWC public information officer Chad Weber told station WFLA. “They were in approximately three feet of water.”

According to station WESH, a statewide drought has kept “water levels lower than normal,” including in the Econlockhatchee River.

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The attack that led to Clark’s death was the third alligator attack reported within 7 days and the second attack reported in 24 hours.

“It’s a horrible thing,” alligator expert Derrick Lockhart, who’s been leading alligator tours for nearly 40 years, told WESH. “The most dangerous place is going to be at the edge of the water or in the water. The water is very dark colored, so sometimes that alligator is lying down there at the bottom and you won’t realize it’s an alligator.”

According to WESH, anyone with concerns about alligators in their area can call the FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).

“When someone is concerned about an alligator and calls the Nuisance Alligator Hotline, FWC will dispatch a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to resolve the situation,” the station notes.

Clark’s father, Robert, told the New York Post that his family was already dealing with the recent death of his mother when an alligator took his daughter. He added that she and Allison had been planning to start a family together and that she was excited about finding “the one that’s gonna take care of me forever.”

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Robert also slammed Florida wildlife authorities for allegedly not doing enough to alert people like his deceased daughter to the dangers of the state’s thousands of alligators.

“There are huge 12-foot and 13-foot alligators there, and they’re letting them out of control,” he said. “The alligator, I understand, might have been on the verge of extinction at one time, but it’s thriving right now, and the state isn’t taking care of it.”

Vivek Saxena
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