What should have been an ordinary day on the water turned into an unimaginable tragedy when 31-year-old Brittany Clark was attacked by an alligator in Florida. As panic erupted, a frantic 911 call captured the desperate rescue attempt, with screams and cries echoing in the background as loved ones fought to save her
Boyfriend of hiker mauled to death by Florida alligator makes solemn vow after trying to save her
A medical report revealed Chance Allison fought an alligator as it dragged Brittany Clark underwater in a violent “death roll” before she later died from her catastrophic injuries.
Chance paid tribute to Brittany in a moving social media post(Image: Chance Allison/Facebook)
The grieving boyfriend of a hiker who was fatally mauled by an alligator in front of him has shared a heartbreaking tribute, admitting he is “falling apart”.
Brittany Clark, 31, died after she was attacked by the reptile while swimming in a Florida river with her partner, Chance Allison, 30, and a friend during a hike. A medical report later revealed Chance fought the alligator as it dragged the couple underwater in a violent spinning manoeuvre known as the “death roll”, which the reptile uses to dismember prey.
Now, speaking publicly for the first time since Brittany’s death, Chance said he was still struggling to come to terms with losing her and made a vow to look after her beloved pets.
Chance made a vow to look after Brittany’s beloved pets(Image: Chance Allison/Facebook)
In a Facebook post, he wrote: “I’m not really sure what to say here and it almost feels wrong to post anything at all. I’m just still in disbelief of what took place. We had so many things planned out and memories to be made.
“You were such a special person and did not deserve to go out in such a way. I love you and don’t worry about shady and hokie I’ll take care of them forever.”
Chance said he is planning a celebration of Brittany’s life as he thanked people for their support. He added: “They really have helped me hold together just as much as I’m falling apart.”
Brittany’s father, Robert, 57, also recalled learning about the attack as it unfolded. He told the New York Post: “I received a call on Sunday from Brittany’s roommate Jayden Hernandez and she was explaining as it was happening. They were trying to keep her alive and waiting for the authorities to show up.”
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials captured two alligators measuring 13ft and 12ft.(Image: Chance Allison/Facebook)
The tributes came after a distressing 911 call captured the desperate moments following the attack. During the call, Jayden described Brittany’s injuries as “horrible”, adding that “one of her arms is completely off and the other one is like attached barely.”
She pleaded: “Hurry… she’s losing a lot of blood… we need to stop the blood.” As screams and cries could be heard in the background, those at the scene continued trying to pull Brittany away from the alligator.
At one point, Chance shouted: “both her arms, both her arms are off”, while Jayden told the operator one arm was “hanging by a thread”. When the dispatcher asked where Brittany’s other arm was, she replied: “Gone.”
Chance later told the operator he and a friend had managed to drag Brittany from the water. He said: “We’re far off the trail, we’re off of a little launch area by the river… We need help now!”
Brittany was rushed to hospital but later died from her injuries. Following the attack, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials captured two alligators measuring 13ft and 12ft.