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The father of a 31-year-old woman who was killed in an alligator attack in Florida has spoken about the devastating phone call he received as desperate attempts were made to save her life.
Brittany Clark suffered catastrophic injuries after a 12-foot alligator attacked her while she was swimming in the Econlockhatchee River with her boyfriend, Chance Allison, and roommate, Jayden Hernandez.
She was rushed to a hospital but is believed to have died after losing a massive amount of blood.
Her father Robert Clark said the tragedy unfolded while his family was already mourning the loss of his mother, Barbara, who died at the age of 80 just days earlier.
Robert told The New York Post: “I received a call on Sunday from Brittany’s roommate Jayden and she was explaining as it was happening.
“They were trying to keep her alive and waiting for the authorities to show up.“
According to reports, the alligator clamped its jaws around Brittany, tearing off both of her arms. Her boyfriend tried to fight off the animal but was unable to stop the attack.
A 911 call captured the panic at the scene, with one caller describing Brittany's injuries as “horrible”, adding that “one of her arms is completely off and the other one is like attached barely.”
Hernandez later shared a Facebook post describing how the group had joked about the possibility of an alligator being beneath them in the murky water shortly before the attack.
He wrote: “There were air bubbles within our little triangle we made with our bodies in the water and I commented on how it might be a sneaky gator and Chance, Brittany’s boyfriend, swam right over it to show nothing was there and nothing was there.
“And just a few minutes later my bestfriend got attacked.”
A medical examiner's report states: “While they were swimming an alligator grabbed [Brittany] by her arm and began the ‘death roll’.
“Her boyfriend Chance grabbed the alligator trying to get it to release her when it took them both underwater.”
The report continues: “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 fatal attack came during a series of recent alligator encounters in central Florida.
According to the report, a boy was bitten on the hand while fishing with his father 24 hours before Brittany's death. Officials later euthanized the 8-foot alligator believed to have been responsible.
A snorkeler was also bitten in Rainbow River on June 21, about 100 miles from the site of the fatal attack. The river was temporarily closed before wildlife officials located and removed the animal.
Florida has recorded more than 450 alligator attacks since 1948, with 30 of those incidents proving fatal.
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Brittany Clark was brutally torn apart by an alligator while she was on a hike in the Little Big Econ State Forest in central Florida.
The attack took place last week, with 911 audio and a chilling medical report revealing more about her gruesome final moments.
She was with her boyfriend, Chance Allison, and an unnamed friend on Sunday (June 28), when the trio decided to have a swim in a river, just after 1:30 PM.
The 31-year-old was violently attacked by an alligator, which tore both her arms off while she was still in the water after a 'death roll.'
911 audio suggested that Chance called emergency services while trying to fight the reptile off, with screaming and crying heard in the background.
Chance explained to the operator that he was 'still trying to get her arms away from the alligator's mouth'.
Not long after, he explained that 'both her arms, both her arms are off,' while the unnamed friend was also heard claiming that one arm was "hanging by a thread."
The dispatcher would ask where the other arm was, and the friend simply said it was 'gone.'
Chance explained that the attack was 'bad, real bad,' as he asked emergency responders if they could 'please hurry.'
He said that she was 'losing a lot of...' before trailing off, though he told the operator that the gator left but his girlfriend was left with 'horrible' injuries.
They then proceeded to drag Brittany out of the water, telling the operator: "We're far off the trail, we're off of a little launch area by the river... We need help now!"
The operator responded: "You may see a helicopter. If you see it, just try and flag it down if you can."
A medical examiner's report also revealed Chance's attempts to save his girlfriend's life, in detail.
The medical report, which was obtained by the Daily Mail, detailed that the trio were swimming in 'shoulder-deep water' in the Econlockhatchee River.
This is when the alligator grabbed Brittany and started a 'death roll,' a technique used by the predators to subdue prey.
It involves them twisting onto their backs before attempting to drag their prey underwater, drowning them.
The report further details: "Her boyfriend Chance grabbed the alligator trying to get it to release her when it took them both underwater."
Chance got the predator to release Brittany's arm 'or a moment,' before it locked its jaw on her other arm.
He tried to drag them to shore, which is when the alligator let go and Chance started to administer CPR on his girlfriend, calling 911.
Brittany died on her way to the hospital, resulting in wildlife officials euthanizing and decapitating the alligator responsible.
The popular hiking route, Barr Street Trailhead, has now been closed for the foreseeable future.
A Florida woman has been killed by a 10ft alligator while attempting to rescue her dog from its jaws as the pair were out on a walk together.
The unnamed 85-year-old woman was walking her dog at the Spanish Lakes Fairways community in Fort Pierce yesterday (February 20).
As reported by the Daily Mail, the reptile - which comes in at around 10 feet and weighs approximately 700 lbs - leaped from the water and attacked the canine.
The 85-year-old bravely fought back, but the reptile turned its attention to her instead, with eyewitnesses telling CBS News that she was dragged into the water.
The woman was sadly killed during the attack and her body was later recovered, with the dog miraculously surviving and being treated for its injuries.
Officials found the alligator and removed it from the water, with those in charge of capturing the reptile stating that it was "definitely a fight."
Speaking to WPBF, Robert Lilly, an alligator trapper working for the FWC, said: "Snagged him [the alligator] on the bottom. He never surfaced. He stayed down the whole time. Got a second hook in him and then a hard line in him so we could get him up."
They then bound the alligator using a rope which included ensuring that it was unable to open its jaw, and images were taken of officials sitting on top of it.
As per the Daily Mail, this is the third person to be killed by an alligator in Florida since last July, when an elderly woman was killed by two alligators after falling into a pond at the Boca Royale Golf and Country Club in Englewood.
Around 1.3 million alligators live in Florida and they are likely to be found in most bodies of fresh water, but some can be spotted in salt water.
Authorities offered their condolences to the family of the woman, and the FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) released the following statement, via CBS.
"Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida. The FWC places the highest priority on public safety and administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) to address complaints concerning specific alligators believed to pose a threat to people, pets, or property.
"People with concerns about an alligator should call FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). When someone concerned about an alligator calls the Nuisance Alligator Hotline, we will dispatch one of our contracted nuisance alligator trappers to resolve the situation."
Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the woman.
The daughter of the woman whose body was found in the jaws of an alligator has spoken out about the loss of her mom.
On Friday, Sabrina Peckham was discovered deceased and trapped in the body of a 13-foot male alligator who had attacked her and dragged her to a nearby body of water along a residential street in Largo, Florida.
A police report published by Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office stated that on September 22 at approximately 1:50PM local authorities responded to the area of 134th Avenue North and 121st Street North in Unincorporated Largo, following a report of a body seen in the waterway.
A local witness, Jamarcus Bullard, told reporters that he was walking to a job interview when he spotted the vicious animal with what initially looked like a mannequin in its mouth.
"I noticed it had a body in its mouth - like a lower torso - so once I saw that I ran straight to the fire department," he said, as reported by BBC News. "It was my first time seeing a gator in real life so I was like it's pretty cool, but once I saw what it had I was like 'Is that like a mannequin?'"
"It was pale and white," he continued, telling a different outlet that the beast was "just clamped onto it, and swam backward to the bottom of the canal... I just couldn't believe it was real".
It was then reported that he threw a rock at the alligator and watched it drag Peckham's body under water.
After the report was made, police finally found across the predator, and along with the assistance of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, they removed it from the area and "humanely killed" it.
Deputies assigned to the case discovered human remains inside the alligator which were later confirmed to be that of Peckham's.
According to The New York Post, court records showed that Peckham, who was reportedly homeless, was caught by authorities around 6:30AM on July 14 for trespassing on a county wetland - just half a mile from where she was later found dead.
It is still not clear whether Peckham had died before the animal found her or if it had killed her.
In the wake of the tragedy Breauna Dorris, the daughter of Peckham, has spoken out about the loss of her mom.
Taking to Facebook, the heartbroken teenager posted a tribute to her late mother in which she debunked the rumors around it while also describing the pain of the incident as "unbearable."
"Hi all," she started. "The past 24 hours have been filled with grief and sorrow and unbearable pain for our family. I’m posting this to put rumors to rest and ask for everyone’s help."
The teen then stated that she had set up a GoFundMe page in the hopes that it will help the family pay to put Peckham to rest.
"We will be using the funds raised from the gofund me to put my mother to rest in our family plot," she wrote in the post. "My mother only being 41, we had not expected to do this anytime soon. We expected to have many many more years with her. Unfortunately god has called her home sooner than our hearts were ready."
Dorris then went on to address her late mother directly, writing: "To my mother: I love you more than I ever expressed, I miss you more than you’ll ever know and I pray that you are looking down over me and your grandchildren. Please protect us. I’m so sorry this happened to you. I pray you are at peace and you are no longer struggling or hurting. I pray you found momo and pop and you all are watching down from above."
She concluded: "I am doing my best to get back to everyone that has reached out and or given their condolences. I appreciate each and everyone of you. Our family needs you now more than ever. If you have any questions, please message me and I will try and get back to you as soon as possible."
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this incredibly difficult time.
The family of a woman who was killed in an alligator attack after attempting to save her dog has taken legal action.
In February last year, 85-year-old Gloria Serge was taking her dog for a walk in the Spanish Lakes Fairways retirement community in Florida when her pet became the target of an alligator attack.
According to the Daily Mail, the 10-foot, 700-pound alligator emerged from the water, targeting the woman's canine companion. In a brave effort to save her pet, the elderly woman fought back, but the alligator redirected its aggression towards her, ultimately dragging her into the water.
Serge did not survive the attack, and her body was later recovered.
Miraculously, her dog survived the ordeal.
Authorities swiftly responded to the incident, locating and removing the alligator from the water.
Alligator trapper Robert Lilly, who works for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), recounted the challenging capture to WPBF, stating: "Snagged him [the alligator] on the bottom. He never surfaced. He stayed down the whole time. Got a second hook in him and then a hard line in him so we could get him up."
The alligator was securely bound using a rope, including measures to prevent it from opening its jaws.
This week, Serge's family, along with their legal representatives, initiated a wrongful death lawsuit against Wynne Building Corporation, the entity that owns and operates the Spanish Lakes retirement community where Serge lived.
During a press conference on Thursday, Serge's son, Bill, expressed the pain of his mother's final moments and insisted that her death "should have never happened."
"My mom, who was in her 85th year, who could not swim, was grabbed by a 10-foot, 700-pound alligator and dragged into the water where she drowned in the most violent and terrifying way possible," he stated, as reported by Local10.
"No child should have to bury their mom under such horrible circumstances. This was a tragedy that was 100% preventable," he continued, according to CBS12.
The family's attorney, Gary Lesser, held Spanish Lakes fully responsible for the incident, saying that it could have been avoided if the community had enforced rules on feeding wildlife.
"Residents and staff fed this alligator chicken and other food from their lunch on a regular basis," he claimed, noting that the alligator even had a name, Henry.
"The neighborhood named this particular alligator Henry, and they named it Henry because the alligator was seen so often on the shores of this retention pond," Lesser added.
Legal representatives also highlighted the absence of warning signs about alligators in the water, emphasizing the presence of benches along the bank.
They claimed Serge was "forced" to walk her dog along the water, citing an alleged community rule about pets.
"Gloria was forced to walk her dog behind the home, in the backyard, by the retention pond. Spanish Lakes is one of these communities that has a rule: you can't walk your dog in the streets of your community," Lesser said, revealing that Serge had received a violation and eviction warning for walking her small dog in the front yard of her house.
The family has not specified the amount of damages they are seeking, stating that they will leave that decision to a jury.
Wynne Building Corporation has not yet issued a comment on the lawsuit.
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