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<\/p>\nAuthorities said a man, who was fishing from the shoreline of a retention pond, was dragged into the water and attacked.<\/p>\n
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A man was killed after police said he was attacked by an alligator while fishing on the shoreline of a retention pond in Florida. <\/p>\n
VIDEO: Victim of Winter Garden alligator attack remembered as kind, generous<\/p>\n
Authorities said the victim\u2014 a 71-year-old man from Winter Garden, Florida \u2014 was pulled from the water near Lake Apopka after being attacked. He was pronounced dead at the scene. <\/p>\n
Winter Garden officials responded around 5 p.m. Friday to a 911 call out of Dr. Bradford Memorial Park, Winter Garden Fire Rescue Department Chief Jose Gainza and Winter Garden police Capt. Michael Mason confirmed to Hearst station, WESH 2 News. <\/p>\n
According to Mason, the victim was fishing on the shoreline of a retention pond near the lake when he was attacked by a nearly 12-foot alligator. <\/p>\n
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission later identified the man as Steven Hamilton. <\/p>\n
Gainza said alligators were active in the area and in the way of rescue efforts, adding rescue swimmers could not immediately enter the water. <\/p>\n
“Lake Apopka has tons of alligators in it, so that’s not uncommon to see alligators in this part of town at all,” Mason said.<\/p>\n
Officials were later seen pulling the alligator from the water. The alligator later appeared to be euthanized. <\/p>\n
Winter Garden police are investigating the attack with the FWC.<\/p>\n