SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – After an attack at a Seminole County state park left a 31-year-old woman dead, investigators have revealed they’ve matched her DNA to a nearby alligator.
In a release, FWC officials said that the attack happened late last month in the Little Big Econ State Forest, along the Econlockhatchee River near the Barr Street Trailhead.
At the time, the woman — Brittany Clark, 31, of Orlando — was swimming in the river with friends when she was bitten by an alligator, resulting in serious injuries, FWC officials added.
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“The victim’s friends assisted her to shore and called 911,” the release reads. “First responders transported the victim to an area hospital for treatment; she later died as a result of her injuries.”
After the attack, a trapper was called in to catch the offending alligator, the release states. The FWC noted that two alligators were removed, and samples were collected.
On Thursday, officials revealed that Clark’s DNA was matched to a 13-foot alligator that was found at the location of the incident.
“The FWC’s investigation into this incident remains active,” the agency wrote. “Additional documents and information regarding this incident will be available after the investigation concludes.”
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The agency also explained that serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida, though the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program allows residents to voice concerns about specific alligators that may pose a threat to people, pets or property.
Anyone with concerns about an alligator is urged to contact the FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at (866) 392-4286.