YIBADA

Disney tragedy: Authorities release photo of 2-year-old Nebraskan in Disney gator attack; Boy’s body intact with only few punctures

| Jun 16, 2016 02:59 AM EDT

An alligator is seen at the Gator Park in the Florida Everglades May 17, 2006 in Miami-Dade County.

It is a time for mourning in Orlando, Florida, following a series of tragedies in a span of a week. The authorities have released the first photo of the two-year-old Nebraskan boy, the Disney tragedy victim after an alligator pulled him into the Seven Seas Lagoon near the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

On June 15, Wednesday, the Orange County Sheriff shared the photo of the Disney tragedy victim, Lane Graves on Twitter several hours after the body of the boy was found. The Orange County Sheriff's dive team recovered the intact body of Graves with only a few puncture injuries. His body was handed down to the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.

"The child was found within the immediate area of where he was last seen," People quoted Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings as saying. "It took some time to go through, but our divers were able to locate the body using sonar equipment." 

An autopsy will prove if the child was drowned by the alligator. Graves' remains were recovered nearly 10 to 15 yards from where he was pulled by the alligator. The authorities invited a priest to deliver the news to the distraught parents, Matt and Melissa Graves.

Since the Disney tragedy incident, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been working on taking the alligator involved from the lagoon. So far, they have taken five already to make sure that the alligator will be removed.

It was not the first Disney tragedy in its history. In July 2015, a three-year-old boy was drowned at the Art of Animation Resort. A mechanic was also killed in one of the ride vehicles at the Animal Kingdom in 2011. Earlier in 2009, the monorail system of Disney was remodeled following a crash involving a pilot, WESH reported.

This was supposed to be a grand week for Walt Disney after the opening of Shanghai Disney Resort, but the merriment turned into a disaster. The alligator attack coincides with the biggest celebration in the company's timeline after it invested $5.5 billion for the 5-year-construction of the amusement theme park in China. It also followed the Orlando shooting that killed 49 and injured 50 people.

Recently, "The Voice" alum Christina Grimmie was gunned down by a deranged fan following a concert in Orlando. Following the Disney tragedy, the company and its CEO Bob Iger released separate statements expressing their sadness in the devastating incident.

Watch the video below for more details on Disney alligator attack:

Related News

Most Popular

EDITOR'S PICK