BAY LAKE, Fla., June 15 (Gephardt Daily) — The body of a 2-year-old boy who was dragged underwater by an alligator near a Disney resort has been found, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said Wednesday.
The intact body of the toddler, vacationing with his family from Elkhorn, Neb., was found at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday by members of the sheriff’s office dive team, Demings said.
Demings identified the toddler’s parents as Matt and Melissa Graves. The child’s name has not been released.
“It was a tough message to deliver to them,” the Deming said. The parents asked him to thank all the members of the public who prayed for the safe discovery of their boy, the sheriff added.
The announcement came after more than 17 hours of searching for the child, who was wading in about a foot of water when he was dragged away by an alligator that was 7- to 8-feet long.
The boy’s father tried to wrestle the child away from the gator, but was unable to free his son, and suffered injuries to his hand. The boys’s mother also was unable to help.
The family of five had been enjoying movie night on the beach near the Seven Seas Lagoon at the Grand Floridian Hotel.
The Grand Floridian in Bay Lake, Fla., is part of Disney resort near Disney World. The hotel is one of three on the monorail line, one stop from the Magic Kingdom Park.
