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12-Foot Alligator Kills Florida Fisher; Trappers Remove It

By Drooid · Oct 20, 2026, 4:59 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Alligator Kills Fisherman

U.S. police in Winter Garden said a 12-foot alligator killed 71-year-old Steven Hamilton while fishing.
The Orange County Medical Examiner ruled the death accidental, citing blunt-force leg injury and drowning.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission trappers captured and killed the 12-foot alligator, removing it as a danger.
The incident is Florida’s second fatal alligator attack in 2026 and the 32nd since 1948.

Summary

Steube Proposes Alligator Review

Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) introduced a resolution to study the alligator’s “threatened” listing.
The measure would task the Comptroller General and the Interior Department with the review.
Steube says the protected status, modeled after the American crocodile, hampers removal of problem alligators.
The study will examine whether the “look-alike” rule deters Floridians from using the state nuisance-gator program.

History

Historical Context

In 2007 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service moved the American crocodile from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act, granting federal protection. Rep. Greg Steube invoked that precedent in 2026 to block removal of a 12-foot alligator, arguing the crocodile framework could reshape Florida’s nuisance-gator program; the Florida crocodile population, about 2,000 and growing, shows the long-term impact of such protections.

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Alligator Kills Fisherman

U.S. police in Winter Garden said a 12-foot alligator killed 71-year-old Steven Hamilton while fishing.
The Orange County Medical Examiner ruled the death accidental, citing blunt-force leg injury and drowning.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission trappers captured and killed the 12-foot alligator, removing it as a danger.
The incident is Florida’s second fatal alligator attack in 2026 and the 32nd since 1948.

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