Parents Of Boy Taken By Alligator At Disney Speak Out

The parents of the boy killed by an alligator at Disney have spoken out. The Graves family from Elkhorn, Nebraska lost their son, Lane, on Tuesday night when he was playing in the water of the Seven Seas Lagoon and an alligator suddenly pulled him into the water and drowned him.

“Words cannot describe the shock and grief our family is experiencing over the loss of our son. We are devastated and ask for privacy during this extremely difficult time. To all of the local authorities and staff who worked tirelessly these past 24 hours, we express our deepest gratitude,” said the Graves family in a statement.

The toddler’s body was recovered and found intact near the place he went missing at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa on Wednesday afternoon after nearly 16 hours of searching. More than 50 officials searched for the body, and it was a dive team that eventually found him.

While speculation has arisen over the parent’s potential negligence in allowing the child to play near the lagoon, the Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings has stated that it is unlikely charges will be filed against the parents.

Demings stated, “There’s nothing in this case to indicate there was anything extraordinary” regarding the possibility of negligence from the parents.

Disney has come under scrutiny as to why the signage in the area did not indicate the presence of alligators, and only demanded “no swimming.”

In the wake of the tragedy, Disney is doing all they can to comfort the family and the other guests at the hotel.