POLICE IDENTIFY ALLIGATOR THAT KILLED WOMAN IN FLORIDA RIVER

Police identified the alligator responsible for killing a woman in Florida by matching bite marks on her arm to the animal's teeth. Brittany Clark died on 28 June after being attacked whilst swimming in the Little Big Econ State Forest, near Orlando. Clark stood in three feet of water during a hiking trip with her boyfriend, friends and dogs when a 12-foot alligator lunged at her, seizing her arm and performing a death roll. Her boyfriend attempted to pull the animal away and was dragged into the water during the struggle. The alligator released Clark briefly before attacking again, biting her other arm before retreating.

Clark's boyfriend pulled her from the water after the second attack. According to the Orange County Medical Examiner's report, her left arm was partially severed and her right arm sustained an open fracture consistent with injuries from the alligator's death roll. Emergency crews arrived after friends called 911, but Clark died en route to the hospital and was pronounced dead at 2.48pm. Wildlife officers captured and euthanised two large alligators, measuring 12.5 feet and 13 feet respectively, believed to have been involved in the incident. DNA samples were taken from both animals for examination.

Examiners concluded that the smaller alligator's jaws matched the bite marks found on Clark's arm, identifying it as the animal responsible for the fatal attack. The preliminary report from the medical examiner stated that a row of teeth on the alligator's head was consistent with teeth marks on Clark's left arm. The identification allowed authorities to confirm which of the two captured animals had caused the death.