Nebraska family ‘devastated’ by fatal gator attack at Disney

Area officials have praised Disney’s wildlife management system, but the company says it’s reviewing policies that do not include alligator warning signs around lakes and ponds.

Update: In a statement to Romper, Jacquee Wahler, Vice President of the Walt Disney World Resort, wrote, “All of our beaches are now closed, and we are conducting a swift and thorough review of all of our processes and protocols“. Meanwhile, people across the nation and in Orlando are lifting the parents of 2-year-old Lane Graves up in prayer.

The parents fought the gator and tried to retrieve their son but were unsuccessful.

Authorities in Florida said early Wednesday a child who was attacked and dragged into the water by an alligator at a Disney resort was still missing.

As a precaution Walt Disney World closed all its beaches while they reviewed the safety protocols.

The boy was “playing” in the water when the alligator snatched and dragged him into the lake, officials said. Agentes de la policía del condado de Orange buscan el cuerpo de un niño en el lago Seven Seas entre el parque temático Magic Kingdom de Walt Disney World y el Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, el miércoles 15 de junio de 2.

The alligator attack follows a May 28 incident when a 3-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, causing zookeepers to kill a gorilla to protect the child. However, investigators are unsure whether they caught the gator responsible for Graves’ death. One method will be to compare bite marks to the teeth of the gators.

If not, the search for alligators in the lake will continue.

Disney routinely removes alligators from its Florida properties, the commission added.

Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman, Rose Silva, said an investigation is on but is “not criminal in nature at this time”.

Photos shared on social media Friday showed crews putting up posts and ropes, apparently to block guests from getting too close to the water at the Grand Floridian Resort. “We are helping the family and doing everything we can to assist law enforcement”. Eventually, the gator opened its mouth and let go of his leg.

Parents Matthew and Melissa Graves said they are “devastated” by Lane’s death. “To all of the local authorities and staff who worked tirelessly these past 24 hours, we express our deepest gratitude”.

But he said that the attack, combined with other recent bad news in the area, could make people reconsider plans to visit Walt Disney World. “Of course the family was distraught, but also I believe somewhat relieved that we were able to find their son.so that they can come to grips with what has happened”.

The Graves are members of the parish in Elkhorn, and Ella attended preschool at St. Patrick School.

The hotel’s website – showing rooms starting at US$569 a night before taxes – says guests can enjoy diversions such as “bask on the white-sand beach”.

Since the attack that killed 2-year-old Lane Graves-some have raised questions over the signage near the Lagoon.

In 2015 there were nine major unprovoked attacks in Florida, with one fatality.