Alligator Drags 71-Year-Old Fisherman to His Death in Florida Lake Attack

A 71-year-old man was killed by a nearly 12-foot alligator while fishing on the shoreline of a central Florida lake, authorities said, marking the state’s second fatal alligator attack this year.

Steven Hamilton of Winter Garden was standing on the shore of Lake Apopka at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park, about 15 miles northwest of Orlando, when the reptile struck around 5 p.m. on Friday, according to the Winter Garden Police Department.

The alligator bit Hamilton and dragged him into the water, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

The presence of other active alligators in the water complicated rescue efforts, and Hamilton’s body was recovered roughly two hours later, Winter Garden Fire Chief Jose Gainza told FOX35. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A contracted trapper dispatched by the FWC removed an 11-foot, 8-inch alligator from the area. Police said the animal was “removed as a danger to the public” and “dispatched”.

“Lake Apopka has tons of alligators in it, so that’s not uncommon to see alligators in this part of town at all,” Winter Garden Police Capt. Michael Mason told reporters . He said authorities had not been alerted in advance to any alligator near the shoreline.

Mason urged the public to remain cautious around local wildlife. “Always be aware of your surroundings, always be safe. Local wildlife, respect it, keep your distance,” he said. “It looks like it’s docile, it looks like your Florida emblem, but it can be dangerous”.

The FWC said serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida and extended its “deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of the victim”.

The agency noted that between 1948 and 2025, there were 32 fatal alligator attacks in the state out of 500 total incidents.

The death is the second fatal alligator attack in Florida this year, after a 31-year-old woman was killed in June while swimming with friends near Orlando. Police and the FWC are conducting a joint investigation.