Authorities said a man, who was fishing from the shoreline of a retention pond, was dragged into the water and attacked.
A man was killed after police said he was attacked by an alligator while fishing on the shoreline of a retention pond in Florida.
Authorities said the victim— a 71-year-old man from Winter Garden, Florida — was pulled from the water near Lake Apopka after being attacked. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Winter Garden officials responded around 5 p.m. Friday to a 911 call out of Dr. Bradford Memorial Park, Winter Garden Fire Rescue Department Chief Jose Gainza and Winter Garden police Capt. Michael Mason confirmed to Hearst station, WESH 2 News.
According to Mason, the victim was fishing on the shoreline of a retention pond near the lake when he was attacked by a nearly 12-foot alligator.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission later identified the man as Steven Hamilton.
Gainza said alligators were active in the area and in the way of rescue efforts, adding rescue swimmers could not immediately enter the water.
“Lake Apopka has tons of alligators in it, so that’s not uncommon to see alligators in this part of town at all,” Mason said.
Officials were later seen pulling the alligator from the water. The alligator later appeared to be euthanized.
Winter Garden police are investigating the attack with the FWC.
According to CNN, this is the second fatal attack in Florida reported this year. In June, Brittany Clark, 31, was killed by a 13-foot alligator near her home.
