A 71-year-old man died on Friday, 16 October 2026, after an alligator attacked him while he was fishing at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park in Winter Garden, Florida, about 15 miles west of Orlando. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission identified him as Steven Hamilton. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

NBC News, citing the FWC and Winter Garden police, wrote that radio traffic reported someone possibly grabbed and pulled into the water. Firefighters recovered the body from a retention pond near Lake Apopka. A contracted trapper removed an 11-foot-8-inch alligator, which was killed, the FWC said.

Captain Michael Mason of the local police urged residents to keep their distance from wildlife even if an animal looks docile. The FWC said serious alligator injuries are rare in Florida and offered condolences to the family. The inquiry remains open as to circumstances, not as a criminal case against a person.

NBC noted another fatal alligator attack in June at Little Big Econ State Forest, involving a 31-year-old woman. This article describes a wildlife accident, not a hunting or response guide.

Image: Ebyabe, Winter Garden water tower, Florida, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; archive local landmark, not the attack site.

Sources consulted: 71-year-old man dies after alligator attack while fishing in Florida — NBC News; Alligator attacks, kills man who was fishing in Winter Garden — WESH.