SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has identified a woman who was killed by an alligator over the weekend while swimming in a river with her friends.

Brittany Clark, 31, of Orlando, had been hiking with her best friend and boyfriend in the Little Big Econ State Forest on June 28 when they stopped to swim in the Econlockhatchee River, according to officials.

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Authorities said a gator latched onto Clark, causing “serious injuries” to both of her arms.

“It doesn’t seem like they were doing anything that was malicious to an alligator,” said Chad Weber, public information officer for the FWC, during a news conference. “They were in approximately three feet of water.”

Clark’s best friend and boyfriend helped her to shore after the attack and called 911.

“The boyfriend was the one who made the phone call,” Weber said. “He was trying to get her from the alligator’s mouth.”

First responders then rushed Clark to a nearby hospital, but she ultimately died before reaching the facility.

The FWC said witnesses described seeing a “very large alligator” during the attack. A 13-foot alligator and 12.5-foot alligator were both captured and killed near the area. The FWC is awaiting testing results to determine if the gators were involved in the incident.

A commander with the FWC called it an “incredibly tragic incident” during the news conference, and Weber shared condolences to Clark’s friends and family.

Clark’s death was among three alligator attacks reported in Central Florida over the past week.

A snorkeler was bitten by a gator along the Rainbow River in Marion County, and a child was bit on the hand while fishing on the shore at Nelson Fish Camp on the Ocklawaha River. Both the child and snorkeler survived their injuries, according to officials.

Despite the recent incidents, the FWC said serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida.

Investigators were still working Tuesday to determine exactly what led up to the attack in the Econlockhatchee River.

“It could be any number of things,” Weber said. “With low water levels that we have; we are coming into the end of mating season when alligators become very territorial. So it’s any number of things, it’s really hard to speculate.”

The FWC said there can be a risk of encountering alligators when swimming in any body of freshwater in Florida. Individuals are encouraged to report concerns about an alligator to the FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).

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