A 71-year-old man was killed by an 11-foot, 8-inch alligator while fishing from shore at a Central Florida park, underscoring the potential danger posed by large reptiles around popular fishing waters.
Steven Hamilton of Winter Garden was fishing at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park, near Lake Apopka northwest of Orlando, on Friday, Oct. 16, when the attack occurred, according to local news reports.
Witness Beatrice Soto told WFTV that Hamilton had caught a bass and was holding it up for a photograph when the alligator grabbed him by the leg and pulled him into the water. The attack occurred at about 5 p.m.
Hamilton's body was recovered roughly two hours later. The presence of other alligators complicated recovery efforts, according to reports. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission subsequently captured and killed an alligator believed to have been responsible for the fatal attack. Authorities are investigating the incident.
The attack is a reminder that alligators inhabit many of Florida's freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds and canals, including waters heavily used by anglers. Although serious attacks are uncommon, large alligators can be dangerous along shorelines as well as in the water, particularly where they have become accustomed to people or associate fishing activity with food.
Wildlife officials advise anglers not to feed alligators, to avoid cleaning fish or discarding fish scraps near the water's edge, and to keep a safe distance from any alligator. Feeding alligators is illegal in Florida and can encourage them to approach people.
Anglers should also exercise caution when fishing at dawn, dusk and night, when alligators are particularly active. A large alligator that shows little fear of people or approaches anglers may warrant a report to the FWC's Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286.
The incident was reported as Florida's second fatal alligator attack of 2026. The state has recorded fatal attacks involving alligators for decades, although such incidents remain rare relative to the millions of people who use Florida's waterways each year.