ORLANDO, Fla., July 20 (UPI) — The parents of a 2-year-old boy killed last month by an alligator at a Walt Disney World resort announced Wednesday they will not sue Disney.
Matt and Melissa Graves of Elkhorn, Neb., said they are forming a foundation in honor of their son, Lane Thomas Graves, who was wading in the water when the alligator snatched him in the Seven Seas Lagoon at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on June 14.
Matt Graves had attempted to rescue his son, but he said another alligator tried to attack him as he went into the water.
Trappers removed several alligators from after the attack. Disney also erected fences at its resorts in the wake of the boy’s death. The resort beaches on the lagoon are now open, but only when the sun is out.
“Melissa and I are broken,” Matt Graves said in the statement. “We will forever struggle to comprehend why this happened to our sweet baby, Lane. As each day passes, the pain gets worse, but we truly appreciate the outpouring of sympathy and warm sentiments we have received from around the world.”
On the Graves’ foundation website, they said contributions are being accepted and the money will be distributed to various charities.
The foundation is being run in conjunction with Omaha Gives.
