SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Loved ones of 31-year-old Brittany Clark are mourning after officials say she was killed in an alligator attack in Seminole County. Family members say Clark loved the outdoors and spending time on the water.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Brittany Clark was with several friends Sunday afternoon in the water along the Econlockhatchee River near the Barr Street Trailhead when the attack happened.
FWC officials said two alligators measuring more than 12 feet in length were captured in the hours following the attack.
Clark’s brother, Nate Clark, said the past two days have been difficult for the family.
“It’s really been rough,” he said.
He described his sister as an “amazing” person who cared deeply for her family and friends.
“I would love to share with the public how amazing she is,” Nate Clark said.
Clark’s boyfriend, who was next to her during the attack and tried pulling her to safety, told News 6 in a statement that she “was such an amazing and caring person and didn’t deserve to go out in such a way.”
He added that Clark “loved going out on the water every chance she could” and said, “Never in a million years would we have seen this nightmare come about.”
A man who said he has visited the trails in the area for about 30 years told News 6 he saw Clark and her group earlier Sunday and warned them to stay out of the water because of alligators.
“I said, ‘Be careful, there’s a lot of gators around here,’” he recalled.
He said the group appeared to be enjoying their day.
“They were really happy. They were walking happily. They were having a great day,” he said. “I was just worried they were being a little bit too inattentive.”
Later that evening, he learned Clark had been killed.
“You automatically go to that place where you feel for these people, what they must have gone through — the trauma,” he said.
Clark’s family said they are still making funeral arrangements. They also said the family is mourning another recent loss after their grandmother died Thursday.
The area where the attack happened remains closed to the public as the investigation continues.