Woman Killed After Alligator Rips Her Arm Off While Swimming in River

A Florida woman was killed in a horrifying alligator attack after stepping into a river to cool off during a hike with her boyfriend and best friend.

Brittany Clark, 31, was wading in the Econlockhatchee River near Orlando when the gator suddenly struck, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her into a nightmare.

The group was only about three feet deep in the water when the alligator attacked, biting Clark’s arms and leaving her with catastrophic injuries.

Her boyfriend, Chance Allison, frantically called 911 around 1:30 p.m. as screams could be heard in the background.

“Both her arms, both her arms, both her arms are off, like, basically,” Allison told the dispatcher.

When asked for more details, he said one arm was “hanging on by a thread,” while the other was “gone.”

Allison and Clark’s friend managed to carry her to emergency crews, but she was pronounced dead before she could make it to the hospital.

A medical examiner’s report said the alligator grabbed Clark by the arm and began a “death roll,” the terrifying move gators use when they latch onto prey and spin their bodies violently.

According to the report, Allison tried to fight the animal off and get it to release Clark, but the alligator pulled them both underwater.

The attack left Clark’s loved ones shattered.

Allison described her as “such an amazing and caring person” and said she “didn’t deserve to go out in such a way.”

He said Clark loved the water and would jump in “every chance she could,” adding that nobody could have imagined the peaceful outing would turn deadly.

Her brother, Nick, also remembered her as a kind and generous person.

“She was an amazing person; she was nice and helpful with anyone who needed any kind of help,” he told local news.

Clark, who was from Orlando, loved the outdoors and spent time wakeboarding, dirt biking and enjoying Florida’s natural beauty.

The deadly encounter came during alligator mating season in Florida, when the reptiles can become more active and aggressive.

Florida wildlife officials said two alligators were killed after the attack. Their remains will be tested to determine whether either was involved in Clark’s death.