Alligator Kills Fisherman, 71, on Shore of Winter Garden Pond Near Lake Apopka

WINTER GARDEN, Florida. A 71-year-old man fishing from the shore of a pond in Winter Garden was killed by an alligator on Friday afternoon, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

Steven Hamilton, of Winter Garden, was fishing at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park when the alligator bit him, the commission said. He suffered serious injuries and died at the scene. The park has several small ponds connected to Lake Apopka, about 15 miles northwest of Orlando.

Rescuers could not reach him

Emergency crews were called at about 5:20 p.m. Other alligators active in the water made the rescue hard, and crews did not send swimmers in, Winter Garden Fire Chief Jose Gainza said. Hamilton's body was recovered at 7 p.m.

A contracted trapper removed an alligator measuring 11 feet, 8 inches from the park, and the animal was killed. Police said the alligator was believed to have come from Lake Apopka. The lake holds one of the largest alligator populations in central Florida, the commission says. The park is well known locally for its alligators and has a crossing called Gator Bridge.

Investigation under way

Winter Garden police and the wildlife commission are investigating together. Police Captain Michael Mason said the department had not been alerted to alligator sightings at the park before the attack. He warned people fishing in the area to always be aware of their surroundings and to keep their distance, saying an alligator that looks docile can still be dangerous.

In its release on Friday, the commission said the investigation is continuing and that no other information was available. Police have asked anyone who saw the attack, or who has information about it, to contact the Winter Garden Police Department.

The commission said it extends its deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of the victim. It said serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida. The commission runs a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program for complaints about specific alligators that may pose a threat to people, pets or property, and it asks anyone concerned about an alligator to call its toll-free hotline at 866-392-4286, when a contracted trapper will be sent.

Second fatal attack since June

Hamilton is the second person killed by an alligator in Florida this year. Brittany Clark, 31, died on June 28 after an attack on the Econlockhatchee River near Oviedo, northeast of Orlando. Trappers captured and killed a 13-foot alligator at that scene and a second one, 12 feet, 6 inches long, about half a mile away. Earlier that same day, a boy fishing from shore in Marion County was bitten on the hand by an 8-foot alligator and survived.

Florida records about a dozen alligator attacks on people in most years. There were 13 attacks last year, including eight classed as major and two that were fatal, according to commission figures reported by CBS News. The state has recorded 32 fatal attacks since records began in 1948, and never more than three in a single year.