Klieman says Disney’s lawyers are likely to give the family time to grieve before discussing any fallout from the incident with them. The alligator snatched the child at the shore of the resort lake Tuesday night and fought off the father’s frantic attempt to wrest the boy from its jaws, officials said.
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The toddler’s father suffered minor injuries as he worked to free his son.
“We’re going to continue to search until we find the body”, Demings said.
A Walt Disney World spokesperson said: ‘Everyone here at Walt Disney World Resort is devastated by this tragic accident.
“Our thoughts and our prayers are with the Graves family during this time of unthinkable sadness. We are helping the family and doing everything we can to assist law enforcement”.
Florida’s Fish and Wildlife stated that they work closely with the resort removing nuisance alligators as they are reported.
Nick Wiley, executive director of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), told CBS News that if a gator “attacks a human, it’s mistaken”.
Investigators search the beach area near where the attack occurred.
Deputies are searching the waters for the toddler.
So far four alligators have been captured and euthanised in the search for the boy’s body.
“This is Florida, and it’s not uncommon for alligators to be in bodies of water”, Demings said.
The post After Disney alligator attack, Florida sheriff says “no question” child is dead appeared first on PBS NewsHour.
Helicopters, boats with sonar equipment, along with an alligator trapper are part of the operation. Divers are on standby. We are working on recovering the body of the child at this point.
A handful of people witnessed the incident and supplied police with information.
Demings said Disney is cooperating fully with the investigation. “It has been, now, about 15 hours since the child was taken into the water”.
“We’ll be here with them til there’s a resolution”.
About nine different properties were affected by the beach closure, which will ensure visitors are safe and help investigators move watercraft into the area, Sheriff Jerry Demmings told reporters Wednesday.
The resort closed its beaches and recreational marinas on Wednesday as search teams had scoured the Seven Seas Lagoon, a man-made lake reaching 14 feet in depth.
The latest alligator attack comes amid what was already a tragic week in the Orlando area.
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The tragedy comes two days after a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub nearby in the worst mass murder in modern US history. On Friday night, Christina Grimmie, 22, a contestant on season six of “The Voice”, was fatally shot as she signed autographs after a show in Orlando.
