MIAMI — The grieving dada of a hiker who was mauled to decease by an alligator successful a stream successful Florida has slammed wildlife authorities for not doing much to power the beasts and pass of the dangers.
Construction idiosyncratic Brittany Clark, 31, was killed during a travel with her boyfriend, Chance Allison, and roommate, Jayden Hernandez, connected Sunday arsenic they went for a aquatics successful the Econlockhatchee River astatine Little Big Econ State Forest.
Officials person said Allison desperately tried to wrench Clark from the 13-foot reptile’s jaws arsenic it ripped her arms apart.
Brittany’s father, Robert Clark, told The Post that the household was already dealing with the decease of his mother, Barbara, successful California, connected Thursday past week, erstwhile the vicious reptile onslaught took his girl too.
He said that Clark and Allison had been readying to commencement a household together, and she was excited to person recovered “the 1 that’s gonna instrumentality attraction of maine forever.”
Robert Clark, 57, a semi-retired motorcycle technician who antecedently served successful the Navy, called for wildlife authorities successful Florida to bash much to power alligator populations and alert radical to the danger.
“There are immense 12-foot and 13-foot alligators there, and they’re letting them retired of control,” helium said.
“The alligator, I understand, mightiness person been connected the verge of extinction astatine 1 time, but it’s thriving close now, and the authorities isn’t taking attraction of it. That’s the lone complaint.
“I cognize it’s an alligator authorities and we’ve ever had to woody with alligators, but erstwhile is the authorities going to enactment immoderate wealth into dealing with the wildlife?
“From what I recognize connected the news, determination was a kid that got spot successful the country a time oregon 2 earlier my girl got attacked.”
The deadly onslaught came conscionable 1 time aft an 8-foot-7 alligator bit a lad connected the hand astatine Nelson’s Fish Camp successful Umatilla, Marion County, astir 60 miles northwest of wherever Brittany was attacked.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) antecedently said that the alligator was aboriginal removed and killed.
A 19-year-old snorkeler besides survived an onslaught by an 8-foot-3-inch alligator connected June 21 successful Rainbow River adjacent Dunnellon, Florida. The unfortunate was treated astatine the infirmary and released, and a trapper removed the alligator from the area.
“Nothing was done, nary barriers enactment up, nary warnings saying, ‘This is infested with alligators close now, deliberation doubly astir stepping successful the water’,” Robert Clark said.
“My girl went retired determination with her boyfriend, her roommate, and their dogs to hike and bask the area.
“They didn’t spell determination to maliciously maltreatment alligators and food and wildlife.”
Robert said that his girl “did cognize astir wildlife” and the imaginable for an alligator to beryllium successful the h2o there.
Officials person said that pursuing the attack, they captured and killed 2 gators — a 13-foot beast adjacent wherever Clark was attacked and different that was 12-foot a fractional mile away.
A FWC spokesperson told The Post: “Serious injuries caused by alligators are uncommon successful Florida.
“The FWC places the highest precedence connected nationalist information and administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) to code complaints concerning circumstantial alligators believed to airs a menace to people, pets or property.”
The spokesperson added that erstwhile the FWC receives calls to its Nuisance Alligator Hotline, it dispatches contracted nuisance alligator trappers to resoluteness the situation.
Between 1948 and 2025, the FWC recorded a full of 500 unprovoked bites successful Florida, of which 32 resulted successful fatalities, Click Orlando reported.
“The FWC extends its deepest sympathies to the victim’s family and loved ones. Our thoughts are with you during this difficult time,” the spokesperson said.
Robert Clark recalled however helium received a telephone from his daughter’s roommate connected Sunday, explaining what had happened portion they desperately tried to support Brittany live earlier the authorities showed up.
In a frantic 911 telephone obtained by The Post, a pistillate could beryllium heard describing Clark’s injuries arsenic “horrible,” adding that “one of her arms is wholly disconnected and the different 1 is similar attached barely.”
Paying tribute to his girl — the mediate kid of 3 siblings who grew up arsenic a “military brat” betwixt Florida and California — Robert Clark said: “Brittany was wonderful, she was precise outgoing and had a large outlook connected life. She was ever striving to bash better.
“She loved motorcycles, she loved nature, she loved hiking and riding. She enjoyed each kinds of music.
“She got on with radical and had a batch of friends; everybody knew her.
“She was moving successful construction, driving dense equipment, gathering roads for caller housing.
“She had nary stops – erstwhile she wanted to spell bash something, she went and did it.”
A GoFundMe leafage acceptable up by Brittany’s aunt, Gena Smith, to assistance with the costs of the ceremonial has truthful acold raised astir $7,000.
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