A 71-year-old man fishing at the edge of a Florida pond was attacked and killed Friday by a nearly 12-foot alligator, the second fatal attack of its kind reported this year.
Steven Hamilton of Winter Garden was standing on the shores of Lake Apopka at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park, 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Orlando, when the reptile struck around 5 p.m., Winter Garden police said.
The presence of other active alligators in the water complicated any chance of rescuing Hamilton, whose body was found about two hours later, Winter Garden Fire Chief Jose Gainza told FOX35.
Hamilton’s death marked the second deadly alligator attack in Florida this year.
After a 31-year-old Oviedo woman, Brittany Clark, was killed by a 13-foot alligator near her home in June, Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Steube introduced a resolution calling on the comptroller general and the U.S. Department of the Interior to study the impacts of listing the American alligator as “threatened due to its similarity in appearance” on Florida’s ability to remove nuisance alligators from the roads navigable residential and commercial. He said the species has been fully recovered since 1987, but remains protected to prevent trafficking and hunting of the similar-looking American crocodile.
Using Florida state data, the two deaths in 2026 bring the total number of individuals killed by alligators since 1948 to 34. Among them were a 61-year-old woman knocked from her canoe by an alligator in 2025 and an 85-year-old widow who was dragged from her yard by an alligator while walking her dog in 2023.
Police Capt. Michael Mason said authorities were not alerted in advance Friday to the presence of an alligator near the lake’s shoreline, possibly because the lake “has tons of alligators.” He said police launched a joint investigation with Florida Fish. & Wildlife Conservation Commission, whose trappers captured and killed the animal.
“Always be aware of your surroundings. Always be safe,” he said. “Wildlife: Respect it. Keep your distance. It looks docile, it looks like your Florida flag, but it can be dangerous.”
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