Matt Graves tried to pry his 2-year-old son Lane from the jaws of an alligator as he wrestled with the scaly beast on Tuesday. His wife Melissa screamed for a lifeguard to help.
The Nebraska couple, who since Sunday stayed at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa near the Magic Kingdom park, were on vacation with Lane and their 4-year-old daughter.
It would be their last as a complete family.
After a 16-hour search for the boy sent helicopters overhead and boats into the man-made lake, divers with the Orange County Sheriff's Office Wednesday found Lane's remains. They recovered his body, intact, about 15 yards from the shore, six feet underwater. It appears Lane drowned in the roughly 172-acre lake after the gator pulled him underwater about 9 p.m., said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.
Lane's death marks the first alligator attack on the park's property since a predator bit the legs of an 8-year-old boy, who survived, on Disney's Fort Wilderness campground in 1986. The accident brings more grief to Orange County after the worst mass shooting in U.S. history Sunday and the slaying of singer Christina Grimmie following a Friday concert.
During Wednesday's search for Lane, investigators pulled and killed five gators from the area but have not determined the culprit. Officials estimated the responsible gator to be between four and seven feet long and must compare teeth marks to find it.
text - orlandosentinel.com
photos - dailymail
Omg. Heart breaking!!!!
ReplyDeleteWorse things are going to happen in America.
Snarky or whatever u called urself...imagine wat u vomitted out of that trash hole u call mouth...na wa for you o..
DeleteIt is heart breaking indeed! To watch your child die in such a way. May she rest in peace.
DeleteOMG
ReplyDeleteMay his gentle soul RIP
ReplyDeleteOMG! And it didn't touch him......
ReplyDeleteKai, this so painful, the father won't forget this incident. RIP little one, may that alligator be among d ones killed.
ReplyDeleteHow can a baby survive an Alligator's deathroll?? How? Just how?? He will drown in a minute or even less. RIP love...move on to the better side.
ReplyDeleteThe parents should sue the heck out of the Park for negligence, no signs to warn people of gators in the area, they do not monitor the lake regularly to check for gators, a park for Children??? They killed 5 gators while conducting the search...5!!!!
I feel you but at d same time d parents are also responsible for d tragedy. Shouldn't a 2yr old child be asleep by 9pm? Why leave him unattended in a lake area like dat? There were "no swimming" signs round d park and yet d parents allowed him wander into d water dat late in d night. May his innocent soul rest in peace
DeleteThere are alligators al it's every where in Florida, and the parent knows. It's just pathetic that it happened that way. I stay in Florida and we have gators in the lake behind our house, they come out often but we don't go near them.
DeleteThere were signs as I heard ... They just never experreted it
DeleteHow a Magical day turned soo tragic😢
ReplyDeleteMay God comfort u Matt and Mellisa.
And Keep resting Little Angel Lane❤️
Awwww poor litle doll. *sad* rip litle prince. Parents needs to be more observant to avoid similar accidents occuring again
ReplyDeleteI pray God give the family the fortitude to bear the loss. This will forever remain with them. Chai, i pray that no family go through this AMEN.
ReplyDeleteRIP Lane. You are in a beautiful place with Jesus
Omg! I earnestly prayed they would find the poor child.. Chai what a way to die.. Goodnight little angel.
ReplyDeleteSo sad. Such a cute little boy.
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Omg! This is so sad and heartbreaking. Poor baby...he must have very scared. I wonder what all those foolish Gorilla supporters would say now! Rip little one.
ReplyDelete'During Wednesday's search for Lane, investigators pulled and killed five gators from the area but have not determined the culprit'... They are still looking for alligator culprit
ReplyDeleteMay God console the rest of the family
Rip cute one!
ReplyDeleteRIP lane, soooo sad!
ReplyDeleteChai!
ReplyDeleteMay God rest his soul.
Hian!!! Naawa. Oyibo will never stop to amuse me with their continuous movement from one jungle to another all in the name of camping. Rip sweet angel.
ReplyDeleteNo warning sign abi what?
ReplyDeleteToo sad, I can't begin to imagine how the family members feel. May God continually keep us and our loved ones. RIP to d little one
ReplyDeleteSad. May God comfort his family.
ReplyDeleteJust imagine d negligence
ReplyDeleteJust look at the lil Angel, gone too soon cutie. Rest in the bosson of the Lord
ReplyDelete