It is the news we all anticipated yet hoped not to hear. The body of the 2-year-old boy snatched from Disney’s Grand Floridian Hotel by an alligator last night has been found. Authorities discovered his remains roughly 16 hours he was attacked while playing along the beach shore line at the hotel’s family movie night.
A team of over 50 people searched for any sign of the boy or the alligator since shortly after his disappearance around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night. Those searching for the child include marine units, divers, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and police units. Five alligators were caught and killed while searching for the boy and gator. Tests will be done to see if any of them are the one who took the small child.
Sheriff Demings in an afternoon press report identified the Elkhorn, Nebraska family. The parents have been identified as Matt and Melissa Graves, their 2-year-old son was Lane Demings. Sheriff Demings confirmed that the body was found in tact not far from the location the child was taken by the gator.
The Graves family had a message for those who have prayed for their family. Through Sheriff Demings they passed along a message of gratitude saying that they “appreciate the prayers that have gone forward.”
Questions are still being raised as to how this could happen at Disney World. There are “No Swimming” signs posted yet nothing warning of the danger of gators, which has some outraged. It could have been any tourist or hotel guest walking the shore line when the gator attacked.
There are some who are blaming the parents, some who are blaming Disney World. Myself? I just hope the media gives these parents the same exact treatment they gave the mother whose child fell into the gorilla pit recently. She was roasted on the proverbial open pit all over the internet because her child fell into a place that should have been secured. I hope these parents get the same treatment and investigations.
