A woman has died after being bitten by an alligator while swimming in a Florida river. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 31-year-old Brittany Clark was swimming in the Econlockhatchee River on June 28 when the alligator attacked her. She had been hiking with her boyfriend, Chance Allison, and friends in the Little Big Econ State Forest when they decided to jump in for a swim. She was in approximately 3 feet of water when the large alligator attacked. Authorities say Allison attempted to pull her from the alligator’s grasp. She died of her extensive injuries during transport to the hospital.

“Brittany was such an amazing and caring person and didn’t deserve to go out in such a way,” Allison wrote in a text message to NBC. “She was the strongest and most outgoing person I’ve ever met in my 30 years of life.”

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Several signs are posted in the area warning people of the alligators. Officials captured and killed a 13-foot gator near where Clark was bitten and another 12.5-foot gator a half mile away. The FWC is submitting DNA samples to a lab in Gainesville for testing to determine if either gator was responsible for the attack.

There have been three reported alligator attacks within seven days in Central Florida although, according to the FWC, serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in the state. The agency’s Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program addresses complaints concerning specific alligators believed to pose a threat to people, pets, or property.

When someone calls the FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286), the FWC will dispatch a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to resolve the situation.