Fisherman, 71, attacked and killed by 12-foot alligator alongside Florida lake - BERITAJA
A 71-year-old man sportfishing connected the statement of a Florida pond was attacked and killed by a about 12-foot alligator, the 2nd fatal specified onslaught reported successful the authorities this year.
Steven Hamilton of Winter Garden was opinionated connected the shoreline of Lake Apopka astatine Dr. Bradford Memorial Park, 15 miles northwest of Orlando, erstwhile the reptile struck about 5 p.m. connected Friday, the Winter Garden Police Department said.
The beingness of different progressive alligators successful the h2o analyzable immoderate chance of rescuing Hamilton, whose assemblage was recovered about 2 hours later, Winter Garden Fire Chief Jose Gainza told FOX35.
Hamilton’s decease marked the 2nd deadly alligator onslaught successful Florida this year.
After a 31-year-old Oviedo woman, Brittany Clark, was killed by a 13-foot alligator adjacent her location successful June, Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Steube introduced a solution calling for the Comptroller General and Department of the Interior to study the impacts of the American alligator’s listing arsenic “threatened owed to similarity of appearance” connected Florida’s expertise to region nuisance alligators from residential and commercialized waterways.
Steube said the type has been afloat recovered since 1987, but it remains protected to forestall trafficking and the hunting of the similar-looking American crocodile.
Using Florida authorities data, the 2 2026 deaths bring the full number of individuals killed by alligators since 1948 to 34.
Among those killed was a 61-year-old female tipped retired of her canoe by an alligator successful 2025 and an 85-year-old widow who was dragged retired of her backyard by an alligator while stepping her canine successful 2023.
Police Capt. Michael Mason said authorities were not alerted successful beforehand Friday that an alligator was adjacent the shoreline of the lake, perchance because the reservoir “has tons of alligators successful it.”
Mason said constabulary person launched a associated investigation pinch the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, whose trappers captured and killed the animal.
“Always beryllium alert of your surroundings. Always beryllium safe,” he said. “Wildlife: Respect it. Keep your distance. It looks for illustration it’s docile, it looks for illustration your Florida emblem, but it could beryllium dangerous.”
Smyth writes for the Associated Press.
