Lane Graves, the 2-year-old boy who died after being dragged off by an alligator at a Disney resort on Tuesday, perished as the result of drowning and traumatic injuries, the Orange County, Florida, medical examiner’s office said Thursday.
The determination was made following an autopsy conducted on Graves on Thursday afternoon.
Graves, whose family was visiting from Nebraska, was carried off by an alligator in the lagoon at Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian resort on Tuesday.
In response to the attack, Disney closed all beaches on its resort properties in the area. Authorities had trapped and euthanized four alligators to determine if any of them were involved in the attack.
“There are no words to convey the profound sorrow we feel for the family and their unimaginable loss,” said Walt Disney World Resort president George Kalogridis in a statement. “We are devastated and heartbroken by this tragic accident and are doing what we can to help them during this difficult time. On behalf of everyone at Disney, we offer them our deepest sympathy.”
As reported exclusively by TheWrap on Wednesday, the Walt Disney World Resort was aware of an ongoing problem of guests feeding alligators and had ignored staff requests to put protective fences in place.
Disney Gator Tragedy: What We Know So Far (Photos)
Here are seven updates since an alligator snatched a two-year-old boy, Lane Graves, at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort late Tuesday.
The attack occurred at 9:21 PM ET on Tuesday night. The child was with his parents, Matt and Melissa Graves, who had traveled from Nebraska to vacation at the resort.
At a press conference midday Wednesday, County Sheriff Jerry Demings said "there's no question" the child was dead, and that officials were attempting to find the body.
The body was recovered intact a few hours later near the child's original location. Nick Wiley, executive director of Florida Fish and Wildlife, said officials would “make certain that we have the alligator that was involved and remove it from the lake.”
In response to the attack, Disney closed all the beaches on its resorts. “Everyone here at the Walt Disney World Resort is devastated by this tragic accident,” Disney said in a statement. “We are helping the family and doing everything we can to assist law enforcement.”
“As a parent and a grandparent, my heart goes out to the Graves family during this time of devastating loss, said Disney CEO Bob Iger in a statement Wednesday. "My thoughts and prayers are with them, and I know everyone at Disney joins me in offering our deepest sympathies."
A legal expert told TheWrap that Disney could face a "multimillion dollar" lawsuit in the wake of this attack. Attorney Joseph Balice says that the family could sue for wrongful death and possibly negligent infliction of emotional distress.
Wednesday evening, officials released this photo of the victim, two-year-old Lane Graves.
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The investigation continues into the tragic death of a two-year-old boy at Disney World
Here are seven updates since an alligator snatched a two-year-old boy, Lane Graves, at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort late Tuesday.
