Coroner Confirms Boy Attacked by Alligator Died of Drowning, Trauma
June 16 2016 - 7:30PM
Dow Jones News
By Beckie Strum
The 2-year-old boy who was dragged into the water by an
alligator at a Walt Disney World resort died from "drowning and
traumatic injuries," a medical examiner confirmed.
Orange County Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Sara Zydowicz
completed the autopsy Thursday afternoon, 24 hours after a search
team found the child's body in the Seven Seas Lagoon at Disney's
Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.
The boy was identified as Lane T. Graves of Elkhorn, Neb.
Parents Matthew and Melissa Graves said they are "devastated" by
Lane's death. "Words cannot describe the shock and grief our family
is experiencing over the loss of our son," the family said in a
statement to ABC news.
It took 17 hours and a search team of more than 50
law-enforcement personnel to find his body under about six feet of
water. It was roughly 10 to 15 yards from where he was pulled
under.
The toddler was wading at the man-made lagoon as his family
relaxed nearby on Tuesday night when the alligator attacked. His
father tried to rescue him, but failed, authorities said. The
lagoon was marked by no-swimming signs.
Meanwhile, an investigation to find the alligator responsible
for the child's death continues, Florida's Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission said in a statement Thursday.
"FWC is analyzing all of the evidence collected so we can be as
certain as possible that we have caught the alligator responsible,"
said a spokeswoman.
The chairman of the state agency said they are offering their
continued support to the Graves family.
"They are now a part of our extended FWC family, and we will
continue to stand with them," said Chairman Brian Yablonski.
Disney World will keep all of its beaches closed until further
notice, while the kid-friendly theme park reviews signage around
the park, Jacquee Wahler, vice president of Walt Disney World
Resort said in a statement.
"We are conducting a swift and thorough review of all of our
processes and protocols. This includes the number, placement and
wording of our signage and warnings," Ms. Wahler said.
Write to Beckie Strum at beckie.strum@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 16, 2016 19:15 ET (23:15 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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