For closure purposes
For one Nebraska family, Walt Disney World went from being the happiest place on earth to a complete nightmare overnight.
The Graves family, from the Omaha suburb of Elkhorn, were seated at the edge of the Seven Seas Lagoon at Disney World’s The Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on Tuesday evening when two-year-old Lane was
snatched by an alligator while he waded in shallow water.
The boy’s father, Matt, 42, reportedly
tried to wrestle the gator during the incident, sustaining minor injuries in the process. His wife, Melissa, 38, also went after her son, but was unable to secure him. The couple also have a 4-year-old daughter.
After nearly 18 hours of desperate searching, Lane’s body was discovered “intact,” roughly 10-15 yards from the shore in six-foot-deep water, according to the Orange County Sheriff. Officials reportedly scoured the lagoon for any signs of the missing toddler—finding at least five alligators in the process, euthanizing them to investigate their bodies for signs of interaction with the child.
“There’s likely no question, in my mind, that the child was drowned by the alligator,” Sheriff Jerry Demings said in a press conference.
The top official refused to comment on whether Disney’s lack of warnings about alligators—only “No Swimming” signs line the lagoon—may be at fault for the child’s death. “Disney will look at all of their protocols, and their signage, I’m sure, going forward,” Demings demurred.
Such alligator attacks are “
very rare,” emphasized Nick Wiley, the executive director of Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“Everyone here at the Walt Disney Resort is devastated by this tragic accident,”
said Walt Disney World vice president Jacquee Wahler.