Man, 71, killed by alligator while fishing in Florida

A 71-year-old man has died after an alligator attacked him while he was fishing at a park near Lake Apopka in central Florida, police said. The attack happened at about 17:00 local time on Friday at Dr Bradford Memorial Park, west of Orlando.

Police Captain Michael Mason said a 3.7m (12ft) alligator came to the shoreline and attacked the man. Florida wildlife officials said the animal dragged him into the water, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner. Trappers later killed the alligator, Mason said, describing it as a danger to the public.

Mason warned people to keep their distance from local wildlife. He said Lake Apopka had many alligators and that it was not unusual to see them in the area.

Florida has an estimated 1.3 million alligators, according to the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The BBC reported that the death was the state’s second fatal alligator attack this year. Between 1948 and 2025, Florida recorded 32 fatal attacks among 500 reported incidents, according to the FWC.