A 71-year-old man died Friday afternoon after an alligator attacked him while he was fishing along the shoreline of Lake Apopka in Winter Garden, according to the Winter Garden Police Department.
The victim, Steven Hamilton, was struck around 5 p.m. Winter Garden Fire Chief Jose Gainza told FOX 35 that emergency crews trying to rescue Hamilton were hampered by other alligators present in the water. His body was recovered around 7 p.m.
Authorities said the alligator responsible for the attack measured 11.8 feet. Winter Garden Police Chief Michael Mason said the animal was trapped and killed afterward to prevent additional attacks.
Mason told FOX 35 that Lake Apopka, located about 20 miles from Orlando, “has tons of alligators in it,” and that officials had no indication before the attack that one was near the shore where Hamilton was fishing.
“Always be aware of your surroundings. Always be safe,” Mason said. “Wildlife: Respect it. Keep your distance. It looks like it’s docile, it looks like your Florida emblem, but it can be dangerous.”
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement, “The FWC extends its deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of the victim during this difficult time.”
Hamilton’s death is the second fatal alligator attack in Florida this year. In June, a 13-foot alligator killed 31-year-old Brittany Clark while she was swimming in the Econlockhatchee River near her home in Oviedo, also in Central Florida.
In May of last year, an 11-foot alligator killed 61-year-old Cynthia Diekema on Lake Kissimmee, about 70 miles south of Orlando, after the animal tipped her and her husband out of their canoe. Her husband tried unsuccessfully to free her as the alligator held her torso in its mouth, according to news reports at the time.
Including Hamilton, 34 people have been killed by alligators in Florida, according to state data.
American alligators are found throughout Florida, though fatal attacks remain rare, according to statistics kept by state authorities.
