SADLY, BOY'S BODY HAS BEEN FOUND AFTER GATOR ATTACK AT DISNEY RESORT

The body of the 2-year-old Nebraska boy who was attacked and dragged into a lake by an alligator at a Walt Disney World resort has been recovered, authorities said this afternoon.

The body of the toddler, identified by authorities as Lane Graves, was "completely intact" when it was found about 10 to 15 yards from shore, according to Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings. 

 Members of the Orange County Sheriff's Office dive team located the body around 1:45 p.m. and recovered it less than two hours later. The body has been turned over to the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy, Demings told reporters. 

 Authorities will formally identify the body, but there is "no reason" to believe that the body recovered was not Lane's, Demings noted. 

Five alligators have been taken from the lake and euthanized, said Nick Wiley, the executive director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He said there is a "good chance" one of these alligators attacked the boy. Investigators will analyze teeth marks to make a determination.

Disney has a "very proactive program" of routinely removing alligators that pose a threat, Wiley said. The company is in constant contact with the FWC to remove alligators, he added. 

Demings informed the boy's parents, Matt and Melissa Graves of Elkhorn, Nebraska, that their son's body was found, calling it a "tough message to deliver." A Catholic priest accompanied him to deliver the message, he said.

The family was "distraught but somewhat relieved" that authorities were able to locate their son with his body intact, Demings said.
"The Graves family appreciate the support they have received and have asked for privacy as they grieve the loss of their son," the Orange County Sheriff's Office tweeted Wednesday evening.

George A. Kalogridis, the president of Walt Disney World Resort, said in a statement, "There are no words to convey the profound sorrow we feel for the family and their unimaginable loss. We are devastated and heartbroken by this tragic accident and are doing what we can to help the family during this difficult time. On behalf of everyone at Disney, we offer our deepest sympathies."(YN)