iStockphoto / Holcy/TACrafts
large American alligator next to Lake Apopka in Central Florida near Orlando
A 71-year-old man in Central Florida lost his life following an alligator attack in Dr. Bradford Memorial Park which contains a series of ponds connected to Lake Apopka. The man was fishing on the shore when a 12-foot alligator attacked him, pulling him into the water, and kept him submerged for an hour.
According to authorities, the alligator attack occurred around 5PM as the individual was fishing in the park’s ponds.
Florida Man Dies After Alligator Attack Near Lake Apopka
Google Maps
Map of Lake Apopka region in Central Florida
Lake Apopka is pretty massive by any standard. It is the fourth-largest lake in Florida and home to hundreds and hundreds of alligators.
Within Dr. Bradford Memorial Park and the connected chain of ponds, gators are prominent. There are signs throughout warning visitors about the alligators and there’s even an aptly named Gator Bridge in one of the ponds. So visitors and fisherman are well aware of the potential threat.
Even still, it is rather unprecedented for a 12-foot alligator to attack a man fishing on the shore are 5 PM and drag him underwater for an hour. WPBF News ran this story on the attack over the weekend:
Despite being Florida’s fourth-largest lake, Lake Apopka ranks just 11th on the list of Florida’s most alligator-infested lakes with Lake Okeechobee (Florida’s largest lake) coming in at #1 with an estimated 9,308 alligators calling the lake home. Orange Lake comes in second with 2,732 followed by Lake George with 2,660 gators, according to 2023 research published by WFLA.
At each of these lakes, the signs of potential danger are visible to anyone keeping an eye out as alligators can be seen basking in the sun along the shoreline or partially submerged below the surface of the water. Staying vigilant to any potential alligator attack is key to survival here in the Sunshine State where the old saying goes that if there is a body of freshwater of any size, lake or pond, it is safe to assume there is an alligator in it.
Following the deadly alligator attack, a representative from Florida Fish and Wildlife (MyFWC) told reporters “Always be aware of your surroundings, always be safe. Local wildlife, respect it, keep your distance. It looks like it’s docile, it looks like your Florida emblem, but it can be dangerous..”
After the attack, the alligator was trapped and removed from the lake. This now marks the second deadly alligator attack here in my home state of Florida in 2026 with the other being a 31-year-old woman in Oviedo on the Econlockhatchee River when she was attacked by an estimated 13-foot alligator while swimming.