Fisherman, 71, killed by nearly 12-foot alligator in Winter Garden, Florida

A 71-year-old fisherman was killed after an alligator dragged him into the water while he was fishing from the shoreline in Winter Garden, Florida.

The victim was identified as Steve Hamilton, a Winter Garden resident. He had been fishing at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park on Friday afternoon when the attack occurred, The Guardian.

Emergency crews were sent to the park at about 5:20 p.m. after a 911 caller reported the attack. Rescue crews had difficulty reaching Hamilton because other alligators were in the area. His body was recovered from the water a couple of hours later.

Local reporting said Hamilton was in the water for about an hour after the attack, ClickOrlando.

The alligator involved was almost 12 feet long. Winter Garden police Capt. Michael Mason said the animal was killed after the fatal attack. Trappers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission removed and killed the alligator involved in the attack, Local12.

The pond where Hamilton was attacked is connected to Lake Apopka, just northwest of Orlando. Authorities had not been alerted to any alligator sighting at the pond earlier on Friday before the attack.

Fatal alligator attacks remain uncommon in Florida. At least 34 people have been killed by alligators in the state since 1948, and Florida has an estimated 1.3 million alligators, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, The Guardian.