In what is now Florida's second fatal alligator attack of the year, a 71-year-old man was brutally killed while fishing Friday afternoon after a near 12-foot gator dragged him off the shoreline of Lake Apopka.
Nestled along the lake that sits about 15 miles northwest of Orlando, Steven Hamilton of Winter Garden was fishing at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park around 5 p.m. on Friday evening when the alligator emerged from the water, attacked him, and dragged him into the lake, according to the Winter Garden Police Department and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Well known locally for its alligator population, emergency crews arrived quickly on scene but were unable to reach Hamilton immediately because other alligators remained active in the water, Winter Garden Fire Chief Jose Gainza said. His body was recovered around approximately 7 p.m.
Wildlife officers later trapped and killed an 11-foot, 8-inch alligator believed responsible for the attack. Winter Garden Police Capt. Michael Mason said authorities had not received prior reports of an alligator near that specific stretch of shoreline, noting that Lake Apopka “has tons of alligators in it.”
“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 FWC extended its condolences to Hamilton’s family as officials solemnly confirmed the state’s second fatal alligator attack so far this year. In June, 31-year-old Brittany Clark was killed by a 13-foot alligator while swimming with friends in the Econlockhatchee River near Oviedo, roughly 25 miles away. State wildlife officials have long noted that serious attacks remain uncommon relative to Florida’s estimated 1.3 million alligators, yet the two deaths in 2026 have drawn renewed attention to the risks of fishing, swimming, or lingering at the water’s edge.
No further details about Hamilton’s background were immediately released. The joint investigation by local police and the FWC remains ongoing.
