A 71-year-old fisherman attacked by an alligator at a central Florida lake proudly displayed his catch moments before the deadly encounter. An autopsy later found that he suffered “blunt force” injuries to his leg while being dragged toward the water and submerged.
Steven Hamilton fished daily along the shore of Lake Apopka. On Friday evening, he was celebrating after landing a bass when the alligator struck just seconds later.
“He held it up for whoever it was to take a picture of him, and the gator came up and grabbed him by the leg and pulled him in,” Beatrice Soto, a witness who saw the attack at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park, told WFTV.
Hamilton, a popular musician as well as an avid fisherman, sustained “blunt force” trauma to his left leg before he was pulled beneath the surface, according to the Orange-Osceola Medical Examiners Office, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel.
The alligator briefly brought Hamilton back above the water before dragging him under again.
Hamilton, a Winter Garden native, drowned. Medical examiners classified his death as accidental and also noted suspected teeth marks on his left leg.
The large alligator population in Lake Apopka made the recovery operation especially difficult.
Hamilton’s body was not recovered until 7 p.m. Friday, roughly two hours after the attack. The lake is home to more than 4,600 alligators.
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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the alligator, which measured just under 12 feet, was trapped and killed.
Hamilton’s death was the second fatal alligator attack recorded in Florida this year.
In June, 31-year-old Brittany Clark was swimming with her boyfriend in the Econlockhatchee River at Little Big Econ State Forest in central Florida when she was attacked.
The incident caused “near complete traumatic amputations” of Clark’s left arm. Investigators also found teeth marks on her left shoulder blade and collarbone.
Coroners determined that Clark died from multiple blunt force injuries and classified the manner of death as accidental.
According to FWC data, Florida recorded 32 fatal alligator attacks between 1948 and 2025.
Alligators inhabit every one of Florida’s 67 counties, with the state estimated to be home to about 1.3 million of the reptiles.
The Post has contacted the medical examiner’s office for comment.
