Nightmare at Disney resort as boy of 2 is killed by alligator
Desperate dad fought beast in vain
DISNEY chiefs were facing questions last night over how an alligator came to kill a two-year-old boy at one of its Orlando resorts.
The child’s father wrestled with the beast but could not stop it swimming off with his son between its jaws. The boy was last night named as Lane Graves from Elkhorn, Nebraska.
The attack took place on a man-made beach at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, a five-star hotel popular with British visitors. Animal experts asked why holidaymakers were allowed to relax so close to dangerous waters.
Ron Magill, of Miami Zoo, yesterday said ‘no swimming’ signs at Disney might not be enough to make people realise the danger.
He said that at night, in shallow water, an alligator could easily mistake a small child for prey such as raccoons or possums.
It has been claimed that Disney World underplays the threat from alligators. Visitors say warning signs make no mention of them. ‘ My question is why are there alligators in there?’ said Michelle Stone, who lives near Detroit and was visiting Disney with her two children.
Neighbouring resorts specifically mention the creatures in their warning signs.
Lane had been playing in just a foot or two of water when he was taken on Tuesday night. His family were on the beach to watch a film and the nightly firework display at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
Fellow guests raised the alarm and the father dashed into the lagoon, followed by his wife. Police say he injured his hands trying to free Lane from the 7ft crocodile’s grip. The couple were left to watch helplessly as the alligator sank underwater with their son. Witnesses said it was over in 30 seconds.
A huge search was launched involving boats, helicopters, police divers, sonar equipment and alligator trappers, and Lane’s body was found last night. Five alligators were trapped and killed but none contained human remains.
The victim’s parents, who were identified only as Nebraskan, had checked into the hotel with Lane and their four-year-old daughter on Sunday night.
Disney World, which is set on 43 square miles of largely reclaimed swampland, closed all its beaches yesterday. Resort staff say the problem is exacerbated by guests feeding the alligators, sometimes throwing food off their balconies.
A British family of four yesterday told of how an alligator lurched out of the water in front of them as they were sitting on a beach on the same lagoon in April.
Carl and Karen Davies, from Liverpool, were also waiting to watch the fireworks when their eightyear-old daughter heard a sound in the water that sounded like a jetski. Another family screamed ‘alligator’ and they dashed for safety.
Alligator attacks are rare in Florida, particularly by a relatively small one. The incident occurred at a time of night when alligators are typically out hunting. The next couple of months is also the alligators’ nesting season when females come out of the water and will aggressively defend their nests.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings defended Disney, saying it had operated a resort there for 45 years and never had such an incident. He said Disney World had a ‘wildlife management system’ in place and ‘worked diligently to ensure their guests are not unduly exposed to the wildlife here’.
Whenever alligators are spotted anywhere on the resort, they are captured. They have to be killed because relocating them was ‘simply moving the problem elsewhere’.
A Disney spokesman said: ‘Everyone here at the Walt Disney World Resort is devastated by this tragic accident. Our thoughts are with the family. We are helping the family and doing everything we can to assist law enforcement.’
In Florida’s previous alligator attack – last November – a 22-yearold suspected burglar, Matthew Riggins, was killed by an 11ft alligator. Police suspect he had waded into a lake to escape police who interrupted him breaking into a house. A month earlier, a man swimming in a spring in Florida was dragged underwater while snorkelling and killed.