A 71-year-old man died after an alligator attacked him while he was fishing, authorities said on Friday.
Steven Hamilton was fishing at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park in Winter Garden, Florida — a city about 15 miles west of Orlando — when he was bitten by an alligator, according to a statement from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Responding emergency personnel relayed reports that witnesses had seen someone possibly grabbed by an alligator and pulled into the water, according to a recording radio traffic. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the FWC said.
The Winter Garden Police Department confirmed the incident in a statement, adding that FWC authorities trapped and killed the roughly 12-foot-long alligator.
The FWC said that “serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida.”
In June, a 31-year-old woman died after an alligator bit off one of her arms and mauled the other at nearby Little Big Econ State Forest.
“Always be aware of your surroundings. Always be safe,” Winter Garden police Capt. Michael Mason told reporters, according to NBC affiliate WESH 2 News. “Local wildlife, respect it, keep your distance. It looks like it’s docile, it looks like your Florida emblem, but it can be dangerous.”
Mason encouraged witnesses of the incident to reach out to authorities.
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