Body of toddler dragged by alligator found
Jay Reeves And Terrance Harris, The Associated Press
First posted: Wednesday, June 15, 2016 01:00 AM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, June 15, 2016 08:07 PM EDT
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The body of a 2-year-old Nebraska boy who was snatched off a Walt Disney World beach by an alligator and dragged underwater was recovered Wednesday, ending a ghastly search at one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.
Divers found the body of Lane Graves about 16 hours after authorities first got the call that a reptile had taken the boy from the water's edge at Seven Seas Lagoon despite his father's frantic attempt to save the child.
Sheriff Jerry Demings said it appeared the gator pulled the child into deeper water and drowned him, leaving the body near the spot where he was last seen. An autopsy was planned.
"Of course the family was distraught, but also I believe somewhat relieved that his body was found intact," Demings told a news conference.
The boy's parents were identified as Matt and Melissa Graves of Elkhorn, Nebraska, a suburban area of Omaha. A family friend released a statement on behalf of the couple thanking well-wishers for their "thoughts and hope-filled prayers."
CEO Michael Iaccarino of Infogroup, a marketing company where Matt Graves is chief data officer, said Grave's family "is the light of his life."
In a statement from Disney World Resort President George A. Kalogridis, the company said it was "doing what we can" to help the family.
Disney World closed beaches around Seven Seas Lagoon during the search, and it was not immediately clear when they would reopen.
While "no swimming" signs are posted at the beach where the boy was attacked, no signs warn about alligators. A company representative said it would "thoroughly review the situation for the future."
Demings said his agency and state wildlife officials would look into the issue of warning signs. The sheriff told The Associated Press that investigators would also review whether the boy's parents should be charged, but it's not likely.
"There nothing in this case to indicate that there was anything extraordinary" in terms of neglect by the parents, Demings said.
Wildlife officials said the attack was a rarity in a state with a gator population estimated at 1 million. But it still spooked visitors in a city built on tourism.
"We have been to Yellowstone and encountered grizzly bears, but this is just freaky," said Minnesota tourist John Aho, who was staying at the park with his wife, Kim, and their 12-year-old son, Johnny.
The child had waded no more than 1 or 2 feet into the water around nightfall Tuesday when he was taken from a small beach, authorities said.
The boy's father desperately tried to fight off the gator, suffering lacerations on a hand, but he could not save his son. Neither could a nearby lifeguard, officials said.
No other alligator attacks have been reported on the man-made lake, according to Demings.
Some visitors were surprised to learn the reptiles lived on the property.
"My question is why are there alligators in there?" said Michelle Stone, who lives near Detroit and was visiting Disney for 10 days with her two children.
The sheriff said the company has a wildlife management system and has "worked diligently to ensure their guests are not unduly exposed to wildlife here in this area."
Nick Wiley with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said witnesses estimated the alligator was 4 feet to 7 feet long. Crews removed five gators from the lake during the search, and officials said one could have been the animal that attacked the boy.
The beach where the reptile grabbed the child is part of the luxury Grand Floridian resort, across the lake from Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park. The lake stretches over about 200 acres and reaches a depth of 14 feet. It feeds into a series of canals that wind through the entire Disney property.
Though Florida has grown to the nation's third-most populous state, fatal alligator attacks remain rare. Since 1973, 23 people had been killed by wild alligators in Florida, according to data compiled by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The boy makes 24.
The grim news was only the latest for a city buffeted by tragedy in the past few days.
On Sunday, a gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, leaving 49 people dead in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. On Friday night, Christina Grimmie, 22, a contestant on season six of "The Voice," was fatally shot as she signed autographs after a show in Orlando.
---
Is Orlando suffering through the so-called rule of threes?
It's a common belief that bad things happen in threes. This week, the Florida city -- best known to Canadians as the theme park resort where we flock by the thousands every year - has seen the worst week it could imagine.
Shooting of Christina Grimmie
Last Friday, 22-year-old Christina Grimmie, a former finalist on NBC's "The Voice," was shot and killed by a deranged fan while signing autographs after a concert in the city.
The YouTube star from New Jersey apparently had no personal connection to the man who shot her and then fatally shot himself.
Nightclub massacre
Omar Mateen, 29, whose profile and motive police are still trying to piece together, on Sunday walked into Pulse, a gay nightclub in the vibrant city, and shot to death 49 people, injuring 53 more. It's the worst gun massacre in U.S. history. Mateen claimed to be killing in the name of ISIS, though he didn't seem to have any official ties to the terror group. Others said he frequented the club and was no stranger to the gay community.
Alligator attacks tot
An alligator, estimated to be between four and seven feet long, dragged a two-year-old boy from the beach of the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, while father and sister watched in horror. The family from Nebraska just arrived Sunday, the same day as the nightclub massacre.
-Postmedia Network
Body of toddler dragged by alligator found | World | News | Toronto Sun
Canadian family also recently ran from alligator in same lagoon
Postmedia Network
First posted: Wednesday, June 15, 2016 12:51 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, June 15, 2016 01:02 PM EDT
A Canadian family apparently ran from an alligator that lurched out of the water at the same Disney resort lagoon where a two-year-old was attacked.
The frightening episode happened in April.
A British family told the U.K. Mirror they were sitting on the beach of the Polynesian Village Resort, on the Seven Seas Lagoon, with their two young children when the gator clamoured out of the water and onto the sand.
Though the younger daughter of Carl and Karen Davis said she thought she heard something in the water earlier, it was the Canadian family sitting nearby who saw the creature first and ran.
"We sat there for a while longer and dismissed (our daughter's) concern," Carl recalled in the Mirror. "The next thing, the Canadian family sitting a little way up ran over and shouted, 'Alligator!'
"It was directly in front of us, around 40 feet away. It lurched out of the water and we had to run. It was pitch black with no lighting on the actual beach section ... Our daughter was screaming, she was petrified."
The alligator was about four feet long, he said.
While there were signs that warned guests not to go into the water, there was nothing warning of alligators, Carl told the paper.
He said the Canadians reported it to security, but they don't know what happened after that.
The Polynesian Village Resort is next door to the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on the same lagoon where a two-year-old boy from Nebraska was snatched by an alligator Tuesday night.
Canadian family also recently ran from alligator in same lagoon | World | News |
Alligator attack a tragedy waiting to happen?
Postmedia Network
First posted: Thursday, June 16, 2016 06:43 AM EDT | Updated: Thursday, June 16, 2016 06:51 AM EDT
Disney says this is the first time in its long history that a fatal alligator attack happened on its property. But that could have been just due to luck. Here's why:
Attacks are rare, but not THAT rare:
Florida is home to up to 2 million gators - the largest population in the United States. While attacks are uncommon -- 383 bites since 1948 -- they still happen in the state. The last recorded fatality was in 2007.
Gators hunt at night:
The Nebraska family was enjoying the beach just after sunset, a time of day when alligators tend to feed. The boy was reportedly in just a foot of water, where alligators will be looking for food, when he was snatched.
Small targets:
Alligators only attack what they know they can easily overpower. While that means fully grown humans are rarely targets, children could be seen as easy prey, and even be confused for raccoons or small dogs.
Summer activity:
For those who have been to Florida and never seen an alligator in the wild, you might have been there in the winter months, when the reptiles are dormant. Alligators are more active in the summer, especially during May and June, which is also mating season.
Alligator attack a tragedy waiting to happen? | World | News | Toronto Sun
