THE heartbroken boyfriend of a hiker who was mauled to death by an alligator in front of him says he is “falling apart” following the attack.
Brittany Clark, 31, was ambushed by the beast as she took a dip in a Florida river – before her partner Chance Allison, 30, tried desperately to save her
The nature lover bled out after the savage gator took off one of her arms and left the other “hanging by a thread”.
The couple were with Brittany’s roommate Jayden Hernandez when the animal emerged from the “murky” water.
Chance said on Wednesday in an emotional post: “I’m just still in disbelief of what took place.
“We had so many things planned out and memories to be made.
“You were such a special person and did not deserve to go out in such a way.”
Vowing to look after Brittany’s pet cat and dog, he added: “I love you and don’t worry about shady and hokie I’ll take care of them forever.”
Chance is also organising a “celebration of life” in Brittany’s honour.
“Thank you everyone for all the kind messages,” he said.
“They really have helped me hold together just as much as I’m falling apart.”
Brittany’s dad Robert, 57, has revealed how he had been on the phone with Jayden who was describing the harrowing ordeal in the Econlockhatchee River at Little Big Econ State Forest.
Jayden told him how she and Chance had been trying to keep Brittany alive in the moments after the horror.
Robert told the New York Post: “I received a call on Sunday from Brittany’s roommate Jayden and she was explaining as it was happening.
“They were trying to keep her alive and waiting for the authorities to show up.”
Robert added that his family was already grieving from the death of his mother Barbara, 80, on Thursday when he learned his daughter was killed.
It comes after a chilling 911 call laid bare the horrific final moments of the hiker as she was mauled to death as Chance screamed for help.
During the attack, Chance and the friend frantically dialled 911 as the predator appeared to continue chomping Brittany.
The frenzied call captured the horror of the attack, with Jayden describing Brittany’s injuries as “horrible”, adding that “one of her arms is completely off and the other one is like attached barely.”
She yelled: “Hurry… she’s losing a lot of blood… we need to stop the blood.”
Screaming and crying can be heard in the background as the trio kept grappling with the beast.
Moments later, Chance yelled “both her arms, both her arms are off” while the friend said that one was “hanging by a thread”.
When asked where the other arm was, she replied: “Gone.”
Chance told the operator that he managed to drag Brittany out of the water with the help of a friend.
He said: “We’re far off the trail, we’re off of a little launch area by the river… We need help now!”
The operator replied: “You may see a helicopter. If you see it, just try and flag it down if you can.”
Brittany survived the initial attack and was rushed to hospital, but later succumbed to her injuries.
A medical examiner’s report of the tragedy read: “While they were swimming an alligator grabbed [Brittany] by her arm and began the ‘death roll’.
“Her boyfriend Chance grabbed the alligator trying to get it to release her when it took them both underwater.”
Alligators and crocodiles often subdue their victims with a “death roll” – a violent technique that spins victims underwater until they drown.
Chance was able to free one of Brittany’s arms “for a moment” before it clamped down on the other one.