A 71-year-old Winter Garden man was fishing from the shoreline when a nearly 12-foot alligator attacked and killed him Friday, Oct. 16, at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park near Lake Apopka, Winter Garden Police Capt. Michael Mason said in a recorded briefing.
The victim was Steven Hamilton, a Winter Garden resident identified by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, FOX 35 reported. Police and fire crews responded to the park around 5 p.m. after a 911 call about a possible alligator attack.
Fire Chief Jose Gainza described rescuers attempting to reach Hamilton in water where other active alligators were nearby, making the effort difficult. By around 7 p.m., his body had been recovered from the water.
At the briefing, a reporter asked whether more than one alligator had attacked Hamilton. “We believe there was only one alligator involved at this time,” Mason said during the evening briefing. Winter Garden police and FWC were investigating the attack jointly.
At the Park
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FWC trappers killed the alligator. When a reporter asked about a loud bang heard earlier, Mason identified it as the animal being dispatched and described its removal as necessary to protect the public.
Asked about an earlier sighting, Mason said police had received no alert before the incident. He described alligators as a common sight around Lake Apopka, including for officers working in that part of Winter Garden.
“Always be aware of your surroundings, always be safe,” he said when asked what fishermen should know about visiting places like the lake. “Local 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 and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s safety guidance notes that alligators inhabit all 67 Florida counties, although serious injuries are rare. It recommends keeping a safe distance and never feeding them. Pets should stay leashed and away from the water’s edge because they can resemble an alligator’s natural prey. FWC also recommends swimming only in designated areas during daylight hours, without pets. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn.
People concerned about an alligator can call FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286. FWC dispatches a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to address those reports.
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