Posted on 10/17/2026 6:33:35 AM PDT by devane617
A 71-year-old man was fatally savaged by a 12-foot alligator while fishing on the shoreline in Florida on Friday afternoon.
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission identified the victim as Steven Hamilton of Winter Garden, according to FOX35.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene at around 5 p.m. after Hamilton was mauled by the beast while on the shoreline of Lake Apopka, 15 miles northwest of Orlando.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
But all the people who moved there 15 minutes ago will be on Nextdoor, bleating, “The alligators were here first!”
When Cabeza de Vaca crossed North America from Florida to the Pacific Coast in the 1530s he did not see a single alligator.
Indians ate them.
This is why I live where the air hurts my face.
All of my life I have not ever worried about an alligator due to their fear of man. For some reason the tables have turned.
We need to make sure Alligator Wrestling 101 is once again taught in our schools.
Sad... The fisherman was living his best life!!
Here in Northern Illinois, the animals I watch out for are democrats. They’re everywhere.
You’d think everyone growing up in Florida would have learned that alligators and crocs are ambush creatures that launch themselves out of the water at anything standing on the shoreline. And also that they can sprint on land really fast. That should actually be taught in schools early so that kids don’t get too close to the banks of ponds, rivers etc. But really parents shou,d teach it.
Cajun kids learn early to respect the swamps. Country living has its reedim8n qualities. I spoke the city folks probably aren’t too savvy about such things.
How many have died in hurricanes in Florida this year? How many have died from alligator attacks? I use to be able to take my dog for a walk at night but the bears have taken over and they get aggressive with dogs. I pay the taxes not the bears or alligators. The state of Florida will be forced to attempt a fix for this madness.
Lake Apopka has about 4600 alligators , or about 100 gators per square mile. One of the denser population m in the state.
I live on a lake in a residential neighborhood south of Orlando. Every few years, an adult alligator pops up but is soon mysteriously shot and killed. The authorities do not make an issue of it.
You are 100% correct; they are ambush creatures and can become even more aggressive during certain times of the year. Give them plenty of space and give yourself plenty of room to retreat.
And its not just the ponds that are dangerous. They can occasionally wander out into nearby neighborhoods.
I am glad my family visited Florida (1960s-1970s) when alligator purses and shoes were popular, and we kids could wander about with no fear of predator animals.
I would be remiss if I did not take the opportunity to share my method for telling if there is an alligator in a body of water (that is not the Atlantic or Gulf) in Florida.
You approach the edge of the water, bend down, and splash the water with your hand.
If the water is wet, there’s a gator in there.
You’re welcome.
Oh, and there are crocodiles in saltwater in South Florida.
The issue is not the people raised in Florida, but people who move there.
Writing he was “killed” does not describe what gators do. “fatally savaged” does
Some of the predators in my neighborhood in SW Florida
Fire Ants
Alligators
Crocs (rare)
Coyotes
Bobcats
Poisonous snakes
Panthers (haven’t seen one nearby)
Bald Eagles (will grab your dog, fly high, and drop the dog)
Florida Man
Old Ladies Driving SUVs (most dangerous of all)
Butt... There is no snow! I’ll take Florida over my home of 64 years, New Hampshire.
Your right about nextdoor.
I saw plenty of posts about people finding water moccasins on their property.
There was always at least one moron begging for it to be “relocated” and not killed.
Every time I saw that stupidity I’d ask for their address so I could “relocate” the next one I came across into THEIR yard.
Not one of those dipshts rver responded to that.
Nextdoor eventually kicked me off permanently just for telling the truth...they did me a favor.
That’s the wokest social media app I’ve ever seen.
That it was developed in San Francisco says it all.
Last year there were bald eagles nesting on the wooded ridgeline across the street from my house. It’s disconcerting when you’re walking a dog a 2AM (not often) and you get a bald eagle giving you a derpy squawk from maybe 100 yards away, maybe less. Dogs are in the 20-25# range, so yeah, am aware the dogs are at some (small) risk from that quarter.
“How many have died in hurricanes in Florida this year?”
This year? I think that number is zero. They’ve not had a single hurricane until last week, when one hit the Panhandle
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