Florida alligator victim Brittany Clark did nearly everything right to avoid fatal mauling: expert

The victim of a deadly alligator attack in Florida did almost everything right before she was killed when the animal ripped her apart, according to a wildlife expert.Brittany Clark, 31, was swimming in the Econlockhatchee River at Little Big Econ State Forest on Sunday afternoon after a hike with her boyfriend when the alligator suddenly attacked her.Conservation biologist and experienced alligator handler Joseph Wasilewski told The Post that the California native hadn’t taken unnecessary risks — but warned of the dangers of entering the water in Florida.Clark was attacked at around 1:30 p.m.— in the middle of the day — which Wasilewski said is the safer time to get in the water.“It’s more dangerous at dawn and dusk,” Wasilewski — who has worked with and studied alligators and crocodiles for over 50 years — told The Post.The Florida-based biologist also stressed the importance of having someone on lookout if you do go swimming.“I personally would only swim during the heat of the day in an area that other people are watching,” he said.“If you do go in the water, make sure you have someone standing by watching,” he said.

“Have someone on the shore that’ll watch, because if there’s an alligator, they’ll see it coming.”Wasilewski explained that he had experience himself in supervising dives in crocodile- or alligator-infested waters.“When I worked for Florida Power and Light, and there’s crocodiles on their property, and they’re protected, when they have divers in the water, they have to hire me or somebody like me to stand watch over the divers,” he said.However, he added that the person on lookout doesn’t need to be an expert on the animals.“It’d be nice if there was an expert, but there’s not a lot of crocodile and alligator experts,” Wasilewski said.“Just have somebody with common sense as a watch out… an adult that knows right from wrong and good from bad,” he added.Wasilewski believes that the alligator ...