SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A 31-year-old woman who died after she was attacked by an alligator in Central Florida on Sunday is being remembered for her fun-loving spirit.
Brittany Clark of Orlando died while swimming in Econlockhatchee River located at Little Big Econ State Forest.
WATCH BELOW: Orlando woman killed by gator remembered as 'fun-loving spirit'
Orlando NBC affiliate WESH-TV received a statement from her boyfriend, who was with her when she was attacked, saying Clark loved going out on the water every chance she could and never in a million years would they have seen this nightmare coming.
An online fundraiser described what happened to her as a "completely bizarre accident" that took the life of a woman who was an avid bike rider and dog lover.
Frank Robb, who has more than three decades of experience dealing with Florida alligators, offered some insight about the active Florida Fish and Wildlife investigation into the deadly encounter.
"FWC has a lot of steps, they'll go through; they'll look at bite patterns, look for DNA things that nature," Robb told WESH-TV.
Following the attack, FWC officials said they captured and killed two gators.
The first gator was a 13-foot reptile near where Clark was badly bitten and a 12-and-a-half-foot gator about a half mile away.
"The guys who go out there to do that job, the trappers who go out there to find the animal that is the problem, they're pretty dang good at their jobs," Robb said.
A 911 call from one of Clark's friends after the attack described the bite as "horrible."
"It sounds like from the 911 calls, there were people there having an eyewitness to what happened definitely helps the situation," Robb said.
The FWC has submitted DNA samples of the harvested alligators to a lab in Gainesville for testing, seeking to confirm if they were involved in the deadly attack.
They'll be looking first and foremost in the animal's mouth, and then its stomach.
WESH-TV has reported on three gator attacks within seven days in Central Florida.
"You can find alligators in pretty much every body of water in Florida. It's just, it's about being aware of your surroundings," Robb said.
He said people need to remember to keep their distance from the reptiles, never feed them and only swim in designated areas.
"If you have an alligator that's been fed, you're dealing with one that's not afraid of people anymore, will approach people, will not naturally be afraid and move away, and that's when the risk. You know the risk goes up," Robb said.
The online fundraiser for Clark says they are trying to raise money to return her remains to her parents in California.
