Body of 2-year-old boy found after Disney World gator attack, sheriff says
The vacationing father looked out as his 2-year-old son waded in the shallow waters of the Disney World hotel beach.
Suddenly, an alligator swam up and grabbed the boy. The father desperately tried to wrestle his child from the animal’s powerful jaws.
To no avail.
The boy’s body was recovered Wednesday afternoon, authorities said, after hours of searching the lakes that sprawl behind the Orlando, Fla., theme park’s resorts.
Sheriff’s spokesman Jerry Demings said in a news conference that the family had been notified, and he identified the parents as Matt and Melissa Graves of Elkhorn, Neb. The boy was identified as Lane Graves, 2.
He said it appears the child was drowned by the alligator. His body was found about 10 to 15 yards from the shore in water no deeper than 6 feet.
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The family of four from Nebraska checked into Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on Sunday, according to a Disney spokesperson. The couple also have a 4-year-old girl.
For the resort city, Tuesday’s alligator attack was the latest blow in a week of horrific news.
On Friday, Christina Grimmie — a singer who gained fame on the television show “The Voice” — was shot to death while signing autographs after performing at one of the city’s oldest music halls, Plaza Live. Two days later, a gunman opened fire inside a packed gay nightclub, killing 49 and injuring about 50.
Hotel guest A.J. Jain and his wife traveled from Georgia to Disney for a conference.
“I’m just here to say a prayer,” he said. “I can’t imagine what those parents are going through. It’s been one tough week in Orlando.”
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As part of the search, wildlife authorities captured at least four alligators and killed them, even though the animals did not seem to have been involved in the attack. The gator that dragged off the boy was 4 to 7 feet long, authorities said.
Nick Wiley, executive director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said rangers will continue to search for the alligator that grabbed the boy, though he said it is possible that it was among those that were captured and killed.
The lagoons abut the theme park’s Magic Kingdom and a couple of resort hotels. In the past, Disney World has been “proactive” in monitoring the presence of alligators and getting rid of them, Wiley said.
There are no signs warning of gators in the area, but there are notices posted against swimming in the lake.
As urban development encroaches on nature, locals say, alligators and other wildlife find themselves interacting with, or confronting, an unprepared human population. Alligators tend to hunt for food at night and often troll the shores of lakes looking for raccoons, birds and other small animals to eat.
Wiley said the alligator probably mistook the boy for an animal.
“People — even small people — are not their typical prey,” he said.
Disney closed its beaches after the attack. Dozens of police and wildlife officers searched the lakes overnight Tuesday into Wednesday with both helicopters and divers.
“Alligators have inhabited Florida’s marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes for many centuries, and are found in all 67 counties,” the wildlife commission said on its website. “In recent years, Florida has experienced tremendous human population growth. Many residents seek waterfront homes, and increasingly participate in water-related activities. This can result in more frequent alligator-human interactions, and a greater potential for conflict.”
Still, authorities said an attack on a human is relatively rare. There was one fatal, unprovoked alligator attack in Florida last year — the first since 2007, according to wildlife officials.
Duncan Dickson, a former Disney executive who now teaches at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, said the property’s interconnected network of canals makes it difficult to keep gators out of the lakes.
“The team attempts to relocate the gators to the uninhabited natural areas as best they can, but the gators don’t understand the boundaries,” he said.
Orlando Sentinel reporters Christal Hayes, Stephanie Allen and Elyssa Cherney contributed to this report.
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UPDATES:
1:31 p.m.: This article was updated with news that the boy’s body was found.
12:02 p.m.: This article was updated with L.A. Times staff reporting throughout.
11:08 a.m.: This article was updated with news that the Orange County sheriff has said the boy is likely dead.
June 15, 7:07 a.m.: This article was updated with additional background.
June 15, 4:01 a.m.: This article was updated with a quote from an official.
June 14, 10:28 p.m.: This article was updated to say the child had not been found yet.
This article was originally published at 8:22 p.m. June 14.
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