Florida man killed by 12-foot alligator near Orlando while fishing

Steven Hamilton, a 71-year-old man from Winter Garden, Florida, was killed by a 12-foot alligator while fishing along the shoreline of Lake Apopka on October 16, 2026. The attack occurred around 5 p.m., and emergency crews found over a dozen other active alligators in the water, complicating rescue efforts. Hamilton's body was recovered two hours later at approximately 7 p.m. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) captured and "dispatched" the responsible alligator to remove it as a danger to the public. Lake Apopka is known for its high alligator population, making such incidents relatively common despite their rarity in fatalities.