Rescue efforts had been called off early Wednesday because there was no way the child could have survived

He had been on vacation in Orlando with his parents Matthew and Melissa Graves, of Elkhorn, Nebraska

Lane Graves was identified as the boy who was snatched by an alligator at a Walt Disney World resort in Florida


This is the two-year-old boy whose body has been recovered from a lagoon at the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando after he was snatched by an alligator on Tuesday night.

The body of Lane Graves was discovered 'intact' 17 hours after he was grabbed by the reptile while paddling in water 10 feet from the shore at the upscale Grand Floridian Resort & Spa close to the Magic Kingdom.

The boy and his marketing company executive father Matthew, 42, and mother Melissa, 38, of Elkhorn, Nebraska, had been in Seven Seas Lagoon, despite the 'no swimming' signs close by when the alligator struck.

However, the signs did not warn of alligators and Disney World is coming under increasing criticism for the lack of clear warnings – especially because the resort next door warns of alligators in the water.

Disney says it it 'reviewing' the signs at its resorts.

After the discovery of the body, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demmings said the boy's parents are unlikely to be charged with any sort of neglect and added that the alligator likely drowned Lane and abandoned his body on the bottom of the lagoon.

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The body of two-year-old Lane Graves (pictured left and right) was recovered after he was snatched by an alligator at the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando on Tuesday night

Lane (pictured with his sister and grandfather) had arrived on vacation in Orlando with his family, who are from Nebraska, on Sunday

Seventeen hours after the two-year-old boy first went missing, police pulled his body out of the Seven Seas Lagoon at the Walt Disney World resort last night. The boy's body is covered by a sheet, above

Wildlife officials remove an alligator from the Disney lagoon where two-year-old Lane Graves was killed. They have removed five in total and Disney has admitted that the reptiles are regularly removed

A Disney lifeguard told Daily Mail Online that the boy was wading in water about 10 feet from the shore when he was attacked

Rescue boats, tents and police vehicles are seen along the shoreline at the Grand Floridian after a two-year-old boy was dragged by an alligator into the lagoon at the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando

WERE THE NO SWIMMING SIGNS AT THE GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT ENOUGH TO KEEP GUESTS OUT OF THE WATER? The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, which neighbors the Walt Disney World resort, has signs warning of alligators in its lake, left, while the Grand Floridian only warns guests not to swim and not of the risk of alligators Signs warning visitors to beware of alligators are posted at a tourist resort just miles from the Walt Disney World lagoon where the two-year-old boy disappeared. The clearly-marked signs, which say 'No swimming,' 'Beware' and 'Please be aware of alligators in the lake,' are located around the edge of the water at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando. Photos of the alligator warnings at the Hyatt resort were shared on the Disney fan website Mouse Steps, and the signs have been there for at least three years. The person who posted the photos online wrote: 'No swimming signs are very common at resorts here - I don't see many alligators in Orlando, but it's always a good idea to do any swimming in pools, not lakes.' The Hyatt resort neighbors Walt Disney World and has a lagoon similar to the one where Tuesday night's attack occurred at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. There are hundreds of lagoons in the immediate area surrounding the two resorts, with many just a few hundred feet apart or linked by small streams. Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has 'no swimming' signs at its beach on the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon, but they carry no warning about alligators. The boy disappeared at the beach where the signs are posted. Visitors to the resort told TMZ they spotted an alligator in the same lagoon as recently as a few days ago. It was unclear whether the visitors had reported the sightings to resort staff. With a depth of approximately 15ft, the lagoon is used for boating activities and fishing, while a ferry service transports visitors to and from Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The lake at Orlando's Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is just miles from the Walt Disney World lagoon where the boy disappeared Advertisement

Mr Graves had frantically tried to save his son after the gator snatched him, but he could not pry the toddler from the animal's grasp - and the creature disappeared underwater, taking the child with it.

At a news conference last night, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings confirmed they had recovered the boy's body.

And while it is yet to be identified, Deming said there was no reason to believe it was not Lane, that was pulled from the man-made lagoon.

The Graves family were on the third day of their vacation in Orlando when tragedy struck on Tuesday night.

A search and rescue operation was launched immediately after the attack, but to no avail.

Rescuers had used sonar and floodlights to pursue their search overnight, as a helicopter hovered overhead. Firefighters stood on the water's edge with infrared cameras scanning the water for the child.

After 15 hours of searching, the operation was called off after Demings said there was 'no question' the boy was alive.

During the search, wildlife officials caught and killed five alligators in the lake and they say they will now use forensics to determine whether they have already euthanized the gator responsible for the attack.

Divers located a body in the man-made lake around 1.45pm and it was pulled out of the lagoon around 3.30pm. Above, the boy's body is covered in a sheet after it was recovered and placed on a police boat

Divers located a body in the man-made lake around 1:45pm, and it was pulled out of the lagoon around 3:30pm, authorities said

At an earlier press conference on Wednesday, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said that rescue efforts had been called off because there was no way the child could have survived the attack

If not, officials promised to continue searching the lake for the creature.

'His body was completely intact,' Demings said. 'The body has now been turned over to the Orange County medical office for an autopsy.

'Of course, the family was distraught but also, I believe, somewhat relieved that we were able to find their son with his body intact,' Demings added.

The Sheriff's Office wrote on Twitter on Wednesday evening: 'The Graves family appreciate the support they have received and have asked for privacy as they grieve the loss of their son.'

'I am absolutely stunned and heartbroken to learn of his family's unspeakable loss,' said Michael Iaccarino, Chairman and CEO of Infogroup, where Matt Graves works, in a statement. 'Matt's family is the light of his life, and his family's anguish is our own.'

Walt Disney Company chairman and CEO Bob Iger called Lane's devastated family and also issued a statement offering his condolences.

'As a parent and a grandparent, my heart goes out to the Graves family during this time of devastating loss,' he said.

'My thoughts and prayers are with them, and I know everyone at Disney joins me in offering our deepest sympathies.'

The discovery of his body came after a Disney lifeguard revealed to Daily Mail Online that the boy was 10 feet from the shore when he was snatched. It was previously reported that the boy was only in ankle-deep to a foot of water.

The employee told Daily Mail Online even at a distance of ten feet, the water is 'not too deep'.

'We have lifeguards on duty at the play area but at the beach we don't have any lifeguards because you're not supposed to be in the water,' the lifeguard said.

The Disney worker said that the father was the first at the scene and then the lifeguards rushed in.

But nobody was able to save the child from the alligator, which was between four- and seven-feet long.

Ben Wilson, who is visiting Orlando from Indiana, saw the terrifying scene from the balcony of his Grand Floridian room – and said the attack unfolded in less than 30 seconds. Within a minute, the gator and the boy were gone.

At first, Wilson said it sounded like a fight had broken out.

At an 4:30pm press conference, police identified the victim for the first time, naming him as two-year-old Lane Graves, son of Matt and Melissa Graves of Elk Horn, Nebraska. Above the Seven Seas Lagoon on Wednesday

During the search, wildlife officials caught and killed five alligators in the lake and they say they will now use forensics to determine whether they have already euthanized the gator responsible for the attack

Alligators are a relatively common sight at the resort but are relocated when they reach four feet and get too close to guest areas

'I looked over and here comes one of the lifeguards,' Wilson told the Orlando Sentinel. 'I looked over and here comes one of the lifeguards.

'He said 'Everybody get out of the water.' The mother was there and she was frantic, running up and down looking.'

Matthew Graves sustained lacerations to his arm trying to pull his son from the gator.

He is the chief data officer at tech company Infogroup, where he has worked since 2008, according to his LinkedIn page. He graduated with a degree in advertising from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has an MBA from Regis University.

He has also served as a board member for the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber issued a statement expressing condolences on Wednesday. CEO and president David Brown said: 'The loss of a child is a special kind of tragedy, particularly hard to comprehend.

'Our thoughts and our prayers are with the Graves family during this time of unthinkable sadness. Matt has served on our Chamber Board since 2013. We stand ready to assist him, his wife and family as they grieve the loss of Lane.'

Lane was wading in about a foot of water ten feet from shore when he was attacked by the gator and dragged underwater. Above, a search boat and helicopter on Wednesday

Following the incident, Walt Disney World closed all of the beaches at their hotels. Above, a beach at the Polynesian Village hotel, which is located next door to the Grand Floridian (pictured across the water)

Lane's father raced into the water and tried to wrestle his son from the gator, but was not successful. Above, Cinderella's Castle at Magic Kingdom is seen in the background of the Seven Seas Lagoon on Wednesday

Lane's father suffered lacerations to his arm trying to pry his son from the alligator's clenches. Above, law enforcement officials at the Seven Seas Lagoon on Wednesday

Meanwhile, Walt Disney World said it has shut down all of its Florida resort beaches and marinas out of precaution after the incident - the first such death in its 45-year history.

The Seven Seas Lagoon behind the upscale hotel is off limits to guests, and there are 'no swimming' signs posted nearby - but none of them warned about possible alligators in the water, like the signs posted at the Polynesian Village hotel next door.

The lagoon is man-made but connected to a natural lake. Bay Lake is home to Disney's Contemporary Resort and Wilderness Lodge hotel.

And alligators - a common sight in Florida - can travel over land. Both help explain why there were gators in the body of water.

However, gators are removed and relocated when they reach four feet and get too close to guest areas

The Grand Floridian, where the alligator attack occurred, is part of the massive Disney resort complex that includes several theme parks, water parks, hotels and golf courses.

'Everyone here at the Walt Disney World Resort is devastated by this tragic accident,' Disney communications executive Jacquee Wahler said Wednesday.

'We are helping the family and doing everything we can to assist law enforcement.'

More than 50 people were brought in overnight to search for the boy by boat and by helicopter. Divers suited up and searched for the boy's body underwater, with emergency crews scouring the lake bed using sonar technology. Above, a search boat on Wednesday

Alligator trappers were brought in to hunt down the reptile responsible for the attack. So far, they have captured and killed five alligators

In Disney's 45 years in Florida, Sheriff Demings says there has never been a similar incident. Above, divers work at the site on Wednesday

Sheriff's deputies used sonar technology to sweep the floor of the man-made lake for signs of the boy's body or the gator. Above, a sheriff's search boat on Wednesday

A spokeswoman for Disney also spoke at an early press conference, saying: 'Everyone here at Walt Disney World is devastated by this tragic accident

At an earlier press conference on Wednesday, Sheriff Demings said that rescue efforts had been called off because there was no way the child could have survived the attack.

Instead, more than 50 law enforcement personnel at the scene focused instead on recovering the boy's body.

Sheriff's deputies and other emergency personnel worked overnight and most of the day on Wednesday scouring the lake by boats outfitted with sonar technology and in the air by helicopter.

Sheriff Demings and wildlife officials have come out to defend Disney, saying the company has worked with law enforcement to make sure that their properties are safe for guests by locating and removing dangerous indigenous creatures from the resort.

In the resort's 45-year history, Demings says there hasn't been a single similar incident.

The Graves, their son and their four-year-old daughter arrived in Orlando on vacation from Nebraska on Sunday.

They were staying at the Grand Floridian. With standard rooms starting at $569 a night, the Victorian-style resort is one of the most expensive hotels at Disney World.

The hotel was hosting a movie night on the beach, and the boy's parents had set up a play-pen just 20-30 yards away from the shoreline, witnesses said.

Chad Weber, with Florida Fish and Wildlife, said that the agency had sent alligator trappers to aid the search operation

In 2015, three people were killed in alligator attacks in the U.S. - two of them in Florida, the other in Texas. Above, search efforts on Wednesday

Later, as the boy played, he waded in about one foot of water with his mother and the alligator attacked.

'As they waded into the water along the lake's edge at the time, that's when the alligator attacked,' Demings said.

Demings said: 'The father entered the water and tried to grab the child but he was not successful in doing so. I'm told that at some point, the mother also entered the water.'

He added that the family alerted a nearby lifeguard but they were not able to save the boy.

Asked about the recent tragedies that have rocked Orlando in recent days, Demings replied: 'Our staff are very resilient.'

'They are very focused, if you will, on assisting this family,' he added.

In the early hours of Sunday, a gunman wielding an assault rifle and a handgun killed 49 people at Pulse nightclub.

Two days before the nightclub massacre, singer Christina Grimmie, a former contestant on the 'The Voice', was shot and killed at Orlando's Plaza Live Theater during a meet and greet event with fans. The gunman later killed himself.

Disney World's flagship resort, the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, is on the waterfront and a stop away from the Magic Kingdom on the monorail

An aerial image showing the spot on the beach where the two-year-old boy had been wading in the water before he was snatched by an alligator

Police sealed off the Grand Floridian beach Tuesday night as they started their search efforts in the area

'The past three or four days have been horrendous for our community,' Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said Wednesday.

'I can't comprehend, I can't comprehend what any of this would be like as a parent,' said Jacobs, who has a 20-year-old son.

Alligators are fairly common on Walt Disney World property as the resort lies in the middle of Florida's swamp land but they are caught and relocated to an area close to the resort called Gator Alley when they get over four feet.

But as gators are often considered as shy creatures, they can be extremely hard to round-up and it is not unheard of for them to be spotted on golf courses at Walt Disney World.

According to the blog Hidden Mickeys, one guest was water-skiing on the Seven Seas Lagoon several years ago when he dove in to cool off.

When he asked the boat driver if there were any gators in the water, he replied 'Yep, we pulled an eight footer out last week!'

The guest was assured that they are generally timid and scared of boats and metal screening is installed before the shorelines to prevent any of them from getting into the swimming areas of the resorts.

It is also not the first time that an alligator has attacked a small child at the Disney World resort in Florida. According to the Orlando Sentinel, eight-year-old Paul Santamaria was bitten by a reptile at the Fort Wilderness hotel in 1986.

However, the boy from Bristol, New Hampshire, escaped without being seriously injured after his older sister managed to pull him from the creature's grip. He was taken to hospital but only suffered cuts to his thigh, knee and leg.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, there have been 41 unprovoked alligator attacks in the state since 2010.