Buena Vista: Walt Disney World closed beaches at its Florida resorts on Wednesday after a 2-year-old boy who was snatched off the shore inside a lagoon and dragged underwater by an alligator was found dead.
The body of the boy, Lane Graves, was found intact about 1:45 p.m., not far from where the boy was grabbed Tuesday night
A Disney representative, speaking on condition of anonymity because the company had yet to prepare a formal statement, said the entertainment giant closed the beaches "out of an abundance of caution."
Earlier, Wildlife officials removed five alligators from the water and cut them open but found no sign of the child.
Wildlife officials said the attack was a rarity in a state with a gator population estimated at 1 million. But it still spooked visitors in a city built on tourism.
"We have been to Yellowstone and encountered grizzly bears, but this is just freaky," said Minnesota tourist John Aho, who was staying at the park with his wife, Kim, and their
12-year-old son, Johnny.
The child had waded no more than 1 or 2 feet into the water of the Seven Seas Lagoon around nightfall on Tuesday night when he was taken from a small beach, authorities said.
The Nebraska family of four was on vacation at a Disney World resort.
The boy's father desperately tried to fight off the gator, suffering lacerations on a hand, but he could not save his son. Neither could a nearby lifeguard, officials said.
"No swimming" signs were posted at the beach, but the child was wading, not swimming, said Jeff Williamson, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
Demings said there have been no other alligator attacks on the lake.
Some visitors were surprised to learn the reptiles lived on the property.
My question is why are there alligators in there?" said Michelle Stone, who lives near Detroit and was visiting Disney for 10 days with her two children.
A Disney spokeswoman did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
The sheriff said the company has a wildlife management system and has "worked diligently to ensure their guests are not unduly exposed to wildlife here in this area."
Nick Wiley with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said witnesses estimated that the alligator was 4 feet to 7 feet long.
The beach where the reptile grabbed the child is part of the luxury Grand Floridian resort, across the lake from Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park.
The man-made lake stretches over about 200 acres and reaches a depth of 14 feet.
It feeds into a series of canals that wind through the entire Disney property.
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