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Fisherman, 71, killed by 12-foot alligator alongside Florida lake
AL.com • • nation
Key Points:
- Steven Hamilton, a 71-year-old fisherman, was killed by a nearly 12-foot alligator at Lake Apopka in Winter Garden, Florida, marking the second fatal alligator attack this year.
- The attack occurred around 5 p.m. while Hamilton was standing on the lake shore, and his body was recovered approximately two hours later amid the presence of other active alligators.
- Authorities were not warned about the alligator's proximity beforehand, as the lake is known to have many alligators, complicating rescue efforts.
- A joint investigation was launched by the Winter Garden Police Department and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, which subsequently trapped and killed the alligator involved.
- Earlier in June, Brittany Clark, a 31-year-old woman from Oviedo, was also killed by a 13-foot alligator near her home.
