Two months before a toddler was killed by an alligator at Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort, firefighters at the nearby Fire Station 3 were warned against feeding the nearly 500-pound carnivores.
The Orlando Sun-Sentinel obtained emails sent by employees of Reedy Creek Emergency Services two months before 2-year-old Lane Graves was grabbed by a gator and dragged underwater, killing him. The emails revealed that firefighters were feeding gators near Fire Station 3, which is less than half a mile from the resort’s Seven Seas Lagoon, where Graves perished. Feeding alligators is illegal because it causes them to lose their natural fear of humans.
“It was brought to our attention firefighters are feeding the alligators (this is illegal),” read the email, sent by communications captain Claude Rogers and dated April 20. “The communicators have found [one alligator] by the station, near the dumpster, and where they park their cars.”
“As you can imagine, this is making the communicators nervous because they are fearful of walking to their car and their leg becoming dinner,” the message continued. “We have notified Animal Control to remove the alligator. In the interim could you ask your crews to stop feeding the gator[?]”
However, Reedy Creek CEO/District Administrator, John Classe, told the Sun-Sentinel that the alligators seen at Fire Station 3 probably weren’t the ones that attacked the toddler. The pond near the station is not connected to the lagoon, and “the gator would have to travel across a couple roadways… to get over to the Seven Seas water body system,” Classe said.
Tim Stromsnes, president of the Reedy Creek firefighters’ union, added that he has “never seen anybody or heard of anybody feeding” the gator that lives near the station.
Disney Gator Attack: 10 Latest Updates
In the days since 2-year-old Lane Graves was killed after being dragged off into a lagoon by an alligator while his family vacationed at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, numerous details have emerged. Read on for the most recent developments.
As reported exclusively by TheWrap, Disney was aware of an ongoing problem with guests feeding alligators and had ignored staff requests to put protective fences in place. Numerous employees at the theme park expressed anxiety to management about guests feeding the animals within the past 14 months.
Days after their son's body was recovered, Matt and Melissa Graves issued a statement saying that they are "devastated" by his death. “Words cannot describe the shock and grief our family is experiencing over the loss of our son.”
On Thursday, the Orange County, Florida, medical examiner's office released the cause of Lane Graves' death, saying he had died as the result of drowning and traumatic injuries.
Earlier this week, a report surfaced that a vacationing family was chased by an alligator at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, weeks before the attack on Lane Graves.
A number of crisis-management experts told TheWrap that Disney will likely weather the negative publicity from the alligator attack. While expert Erik Bernstein said that the company is "going to be painted as the villain" because it hadn't posted warning signs specifically mentioning alligators, he ultimately felt, “Disney’s brand is so strong and so ingrained in people’s minds that this is going to be written off as a one-off issue.”
On Thursday, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said that Graves' parents are unlikely to be charged for the incident, saying, "“There’s nothing in this case to indicate that there was anything extraordinary” in terms of neglect.
On Friday, Disney released an image of the new warning signs that will be placed at their resort beach locations. The new signs bear specific warnings about the presence of alligators and snakes.
After news emerged that Disney may have been repeatedly warned about the risk of an alligator attack occurring, crisis PR expert Andrew Ricci told TheWrap that the company could face additional difficulties, saying, "Now this becomes another major part of any potential litigation they might face."
On Saturday, Matt and Melissa Graves issued a new statement, saying that they are "overwhelmed with the support and love we have received from family and friends in our community as well as from around the country,” but nonetheless asking for the privacy they need "to lay our son to rest."
1 of 10
All the most recent developments stemming from the death of 2-year-old Lane Graves
In the days since 2-year-old Lane Graves was killed after being dragged off into a lagoon by an alligator while his family vacationed at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, numerous details have emerged. Read on for the most recent developments.
