Wildlife officials captured two large alligators from the Econlockhatchee River as the investigation continues.
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — A 31-year-old Orlando woman died after an alligator attacked her Sunday afternoon while she was swimming with friends in the Econlockhatchee River near Little Big Econ State Forest, state wildlife officials said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission identified the woman as Brittany Clark. The attack happened June 28 near the Barr Street Trailhead, a wooded access point in Seminole County north of Orlando. Officials said Clark was with her boyfriend and a friend when the group stopped during a hike and entered the river. She was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and later died. Wildlife officers and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office remained involved as investigators worked to determine which alligator attacked her.
Officials said Clark and the others were in about 3 feet of water when the alligator bit her on both arms. FWC spokesperson Chad Weber said at a Monday briefing that Clark’s boyfriend called 911 while trying to free her from the animal. “He was trying to get her from the alligator’s mouth,” Weber said. Friends helped Clark reach the shore before medics arrived. Emergency crews took her from the river area as a trauma patient, but Weber said she died before or while being taken for medical care. The attack was reported around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, and deputies closed access near the trailhead while wildlife officers searched the water.
FWC officials said two alligators were captured and killed after the attack. One was about 13 feet long and was found at the attack site. The other was about 12.5 feet long and was found roughly a half-mile away. Samples from both animals were collected for DNA testing, which officials said should help determine whether either alligator was responsible. Investigators have not said how long that testing will take. Lt. Grant Eller said it was not clear what caused the attack. Weber said the group did not appear to have done anything malicious and had stopped to swim after hiking. The agency said the investigation remains open.
The Econlockhatchee River runs through a stretch of natural land used for hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing. The Barr Street Trailhead is part of the Little Big Econ State Forest area, where dark water, wooded banks and shallow river sections can make alligators hard to see. Officials said lower water levels from dry weather may have been a factor, but they have not reached a final finding. Eller said alligators can be territorial late in mating season. The state has about 1.3 million alligators, and FWC says serious injuries from alligator attacks remain rare. Since Florida began tracking such cases in 1948, the state has recorded more than 500 bites and more than 30 deaths.
The fatal attack came during a week in which wildlife officials responded to other alligator bite reports in Central Florida. A child was bitten on the hand while fishing with his father at Nelson Fish Camp in Marion County on Saturday, officials said. An alligator more than 8 feet long was removed after that attack. On June 21, an alligator bit a snorkeler in the Rainbow River near Dunnellon, and that animal also was removed. The snorkeler survived after treatment. Officials did not say the three attacks were connected, but they noted that alligator activity can rise during warm months and around the end of mating season.
People who often visit the Little Big Econ area told local reporters the attack left them shaken. Leo Estupinan, who said he fishes there with friends, said he had seen large alligators in the same waters before. “I’ve seen a couple big ones, probably a 12-foot gator,” Estupinan said. “That’s kind of scary.” The river’s dark water made the attack area harder to read from shore, he said. Wildlife officials offered condolences to Clark’s family and said they waited to release her name until relatives were notified. The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office assisted FWC at the scene but has not announced any criminal investigation.
FWC said its Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program handles reports of alligators believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property. In this case, a contracted nuisance alligator trapper helped remove the two large alligators from the river after the attack. The next major step is DNA testing on the animals and a final review by wildlife investigators. Officials have not announced any hearing, enforcement action or public report date. The Barr Street Trailhead area was closed during the response, but officials did not give a long-term closure schedule.
The case remained under FWC investigation Tuesday, June 30, as officials awaited test results from the two captured alligators and reviewed the circumstances of Clark’s death.
Author note: Last updated June 30, 2026.