A man killed by a nearly 12-foot long alligator in Central Florida was taking a photo of himself with a fish he had just caught when he was grabbed by the leg andpulled underwater, according to an initial medical examiner's report.
The attack on Steven Hamilton, 71, happened Oct. 16 at the edge of a pondwhere he was known to fish nearly daily, neighbors told officials from the medical examiner's office that covers Osceola and Orange counties.
The alligator brought Hamilton to the surface at least twice after he was initially dragged under. The first time, the alligator wouldn't let Hamilton go.
"After another submersion followed by resurfacing, trappers were able to subdue the alligator, freeing the decedent," the report notes. While the call to first
responders was made at about 5 p.m., Hamilton was not pronounced dead until about an hour later.
The attack happened at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park in Winter Garden, about 15 miles west of Orlando. The alligator believed to be responsible for the attack is described by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as 11-feet, 8-inches long.
Swabs were taken of Hamilton's wounds to compare to the alligator believed to have killed him.
It is the second alligator-related death in Florida this year following the June 28 death of 31-year-old Brittany Clark. Clark was attacked while swimming with her boyfriend and a friend in the Econlockatchee River. The alligator tore her left arm partially off at her shoulder and she had an open fracture on her right arm. Clark's attack happened near the Barr Street Trailhead about 18 miles northeast of Orlando.
On July 3, 71-year-old James Grayson McMicken was attacked in a similar situation to Hamilton while he was fishing from a canal bank behind his home. McMicken said the alligator jumped out of the water and grabbed his leg, dragging him into the water. The gator let go after McMicken jabbed him in the eyes. He was treated for bites on his leg.
How many alligator-related fatalities in Florida have there been?
Since 1948, there have been 34 alligator-related fatalities in Florida. Most years go without any deaths but there have been two each in 2025, 2023 and 2022.
The pond Hamilton was fishing at is just a few hundred feet from his Winter Garden home and connected to Lake Apopka. FWC estimated in 2024had about 4,600 alligators. That ranked the lake 14th in a top 20 for alligator populations in Florida with Lake Okeechobee topping the rankings with 33,542 alligators, followed by Lake Kissimmee with 16,184 alligators.
"Always be aware of your surroundings always be safe," said Winter Garden Police Department Captain Michael Mason in a briefing after the attack. "Local wildlife; respect it, keep your distance. It looks like it's docile, it looks like your Florida emblem, but it can be dangerous."
In addition to the two deaths this year, there have been four attacks reported by FWC, of which two resulted in the amputations of limbs.
In August, Congressman Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, filed a bill that would require the Comptroller General and the Department of the Interior to study the alligator's protected status of "threatened" and whether it thwarts their removal when they become a nuisance.
Although alligator populations have rebounded to an estimated 1.3 million in Florida, its resemblance to the federally threatened American crocodile allows it to keep its protected listing.
“Florida families deserve to protect their children and pets in their own backyards,” Steube said in an August statement. “The American alligator is an apex predator, and it’s been fully recovered since 1987. Federal lookalike rules meant to stop trafficking remain in place, but they may be discouraging Floridians from using our state’s nuisance alligator program.”
The medical examiner's report said Hamilton had bit marks on his left leg with an "almost complete open wound including femoral fracture."
FWC and the Winter Garden Police Department are investigating the incident.
Kimberly Miller is a journalist for the USA TODAY NETWORK FLORIDA. She covers weather, the environment and critters as the Embracing Florida reporter. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at palmbeachpost.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida man dragged under by gator while taking photo of fish he caught
