Man fishing when attacked, killed by alligator at Florida park, officials say

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - Officials said a body was pulled from the water after an alligator attack at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park in Winter Garden in Florida, according to Winter Garden Fire Chief José Gainza.

Emergency crews responded Friday, after receiving reports of someone potentially being attacked by an alligator.

Person potentially attacked by alligator

What we know:

The victim was killed by the alligator and later identified as a 71-year-old man. 

Gainza told FOX 35 Orlando that a 911 call was reported around 5:20 p.m. local time at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park in Winter Garden. 

Around 7 p.m. Gainza said the man's body had been recovered from the water. He said the man was fishing at the park when the attack happened.

Officials said the 12-foot alligator was killed. 

Earlier, crews attempted to rescue the person, but said that it was a challenge because there were alligators nearby.

Alligators in Florida

Big picture view:

Florida is home to the American alligator, which can live in any body of water, including rivers, streams, lakes, swamps, and marshes, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. They can be found in all 67 counties in Florida.

By the numbers:

While alligator attacks against humans are considered to be rare, they can happen.

 The FWC keeps track of unprovoked alligator backs each year, dating back to 1948.

According to the FWC's data, there have been a total of 500 alligator bites against humans since 1948, of which 32 of them were deadly.

• 2025: 13 total bites - 2 deaths, 8 major, 5 minor
• 2024: 11 total bites - 9 major, 2 minor, 0 deaths
• 2023: 23 total bites - 2 deaths, 19 major, 5 minor
• 2022: 11 total bites - 2 deaths, 9 major, 2 minor
• 2021: 9 total bites - 7 major, 2 minor, 0 deaths