The final image of a 71-year-old fisherman shows him holding up his catch moments before a nearly 12-foot alligator dragged him to his death in Florida.
Steve Hamilton, a local musician, was fishing at Dr Bradford Memorial Park in Winter Garden on Friday when the creature bit him, dragged him by the leg into the water, and caused him to drown and suffer a severe leg injury.
Witness describes attack
Beatrice Soto, a witness, told WFTV: 'He caught a bass. He held it up for whoever it was to take a picture of him, and the gator came up and grabbed him by the leg and pulled him in.'
Emergency services responded to a 911 call and arrived at the park, roughly 15 miles west of Orlando, at around 5.20pm local time. Mr Hamilton was pronounced dead at the scene before his body was recovered from the water.
Alligator removed and killed
The alligator was removed from the area by a contracted nuisance alligator trapper, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Six people were involved in efforts to wrangle the animal before its mouth was secured shut and it was killed.
The agency said in a statement: 'The FWC extends its deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of the victim during this difficult time. This is an active investigation, and this is all the information available at this time.'
Police warn of danger
Captain Michael Mason of the Winter Garden Police Department said the pond where Mr Hamilton died has 'tons of alligators' in it. 'That is not uncommon to see alligators in this part of town,' he continued, telling locals to 'be aware of their surroundings.'
He added that the alligator 'looks like it's docile' and 'looks like your Florida emblem, but it can be dangerous.'
Jason Handley, who was at the park when emergency services responded, told News 6 he saw the alligator being pulled from the water. 'When we got here, all the rescue people and everything was over on this side. It had the drones, everything in the air,' he told the outlet.
