Update: Toddler’s body recovered in Disney’s Seven Seas Lagoon
The body of a toddler snatched by an alligator from the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon has been recovered, police said.
The body of 2-year-old Lane Graves was recovered at about 3:30 this afternoon “in the immediate area of where he was last seen” near the Grand Floridian Resort, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said. He added that the boy was likely drowned by the alligator, and his body was found in tact.
The boy’s parents were identified as Matt and Melissa Graves of Elk Horn, Nebraska.
“We are terribly heartbroken at this outcome,” said Nick Wiley, executive director of Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission.
Wiley said five alligators were taken from the lake and euthanized during the search. “We are going to make certain that we have the alligator that was involved and that we remove it from the lake,” he said. “There’s a good chance we already have that alligator. If we can’t get a certain match, we are going to continue to look for alligators in the lake.”
Members of a dive team located what they believed to be the toddler’s body at about 1:45 p.m., about 10-15 yards from shore in murky water about 6 feet deep, Demings said. They recovered the remains shortly thereafter.
Earlier in the day, Disney closed all of its beaches and
recreational marinas “out of an abundance of caution.” In addition, the ferry boats that typically
shuttle guests between the parking lot and the Magic Kingdom were shut down. The theme
parks remained open, with heightened security in the wake of the mass shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub last weekend.
The toddler was snatched while wading in the shallows on the beach near
the Grand Floridian Resort at about 9 p.m. Tuesday as his family relaxed
nearby.
Although Seven Seas Lagoon is man-made, it connects with Bay Lake, a natural lake that is a mile across and reaches depths of 35 feet. There has not been another incident like this in the nearly 45 years Disney has operated on the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon, Demings said.
