Melissa Graves and Lane Graves
The body of 2-year-old Lane Graves, was
recovered from a manmade lagoon at Disney’s Grand Floridian
Hotel and Spa. The beautiful boy and his family were on
vacation at Disney world. At approximately 9:00PM during
movie night, the family and other guests of the hotel were
on a man made beach overlooking an artificial lagoon
that leads out to an alligator habitat.
Matt Graves holding his son Lane Graves, as Melissa
Graves holds their daughter
Lane was wading in inches of water, when an
alligator quickly surfaced and attacked. The animal gabbed
Lane, wrongly believing he was food. Lane's dad, Matt
Graves, fought the alligator in trying to free his son from
the animal's mouth. Lane's mother Melissa also waded into
the water trying to help her son. However, after a few
seconds the alligator retreated into the lagoon with Lane in
his mouth.
Lane Graves
A lifeguard and other guests witnessed the
horrible incident unfold and called for help. A search
ensued as fifty people attempted to find the boy. Five
alligators were caught and culled, in attempts at finding
Lane. The next afternoon, authorities recovered Lane's body
intact close the the spot the attack had occurred. The
alligator had drowned Lane, but released him when he
realized the boy was not food (alligators eat fish and
turtles).
Lane Graves
Some have been pointing to the fact the
artificial beach had a "no swimming" sign posted. However,
Lane was not swimming in the water. He was playing at the
shore. The sign did not warn of alligators. Had Disney
responsibly placed a sign warning of alligators, the family
and others who have visited the Grand Floridian, would not
have went to the artificial beach. A neighboring hotel has
signs plainly stating alligators are present and not to feed
or touch them. Disney is liable, as they had no alligator
warning signs and have encouraged guests to sit on the fake
beach during movie night and in the day while sunbathing.
"No Swimming" sign at Disney's Grand Floridian Hotel
and Spa failed to warn guests there are alligators present
In wanting to give their expensive hotel a
more upscale appeal, Disney neglected to mention to the
visiting public that the resort is built in alligator
infested swamp and woodlands, where there have been a number
of alligator sightings, some of which have been caught on
film and in photographs. Other guests had complained about
alligators at the Grand Floridian Hotel and Spa.
Family from Liverpool, England was confronted by this
large alligator that surfaced on the shore, as they sat 40
feet away from the water at the Grand Floridian Hotel and
Spa
3-months ago, a family from Liverpool, England vacationed at
the Disney Grand Floridian and came face to face with an 7
foot alligator. The family stated they were on the
artificial beach in lounge chairs provided by Disney, who
once again encourages guests to use the fake beach lining
an artificial pond infested with gators. The family did not
go into the water, neither did a group of Canadians, who
were also on vacation and on the fake beach. However, the
English family heard a loud and noise and not long after, an
alligator surfaced on the shore and charged at them.
Disney World's Grand Floridian hotel and spa in
Orlando, Florida
Once again, the families were not swimming
in the water, but sitting on the shore 40-feet from the
artificial lagoon. Both families had to run for their lives.
Therefore, any claims Lane was "wading in the water" that
barely reached his knees, does not constitute swimming in
water nor does it excuse the fact Disney did not inform
guests of the fact alligators are present and pose a threat
to human life.
Locals know the risks of dark water in
Florida. However, a family from Nebraska, England or Canada
will not realize the threat to safety and life. Disney has
failed to warn foreigners and out of state guests of the
risks. Gators see humans in heavily populated areas as
adversaries taking over their land. Alligators do not like
humans. Avoid them, because if they get the chance, they
will attack you without warning.
Side Bar: Florida is full of gators
and they like to lurk in dark water. I once saw an alligator
at the edge of the boulder lined waters of the bay in Miami,
where they are not thought to roam. However, due to it being
by a park and entertainment complex, where people eat
everyday and at times throw food in the water rather than
garbage cans, the gator was there lurking wanting to be fed
(I've even seen shopping carts in that water - people need
to stop polluting) .
If you've lived in Florida, you will see a
gator or hear stories of them. My friend saw a baby gator
surface and walk along the manmade pond in her then newly
built community. Years ago my mom's friend communicated the
dangers of living in Florida near water, stating her friend
had purchased a brand new home on a lake, but sold it within
days after an alligator surfaced, snatched her small dog and
dragged him into the water, never to be seen again. Another
friend told us of an incident where she heard a
scratching noise at her front door, looked through the
peephole and saw nothing, but when she finally opened the
door to peek, a gator was on the ground. The gator was
scratching on the front door and had she opened it fully,
the animal would have lunged at her.
The closer you live to a lake, pond, river
or lagoon in Florida, the more likely it is to happen.
Architects in Florida love to build artificial ponds in new
communities and place a fountain in the center as a selling
point, but it has the risk of almost always attracting
alligators, who usually come out in the evening and at
night. However, some have openly lurked in the day time,
likely hungry and seeking for food after ending up in a fake
habitat that lacks fish.
STORY SOURCE
Disney alligator attack eerily foreshadowed exactly 30
years ago when child fought to save sibling
17:30, 15 Jun 2016 - The horrific alligator
attack on an American toddler at a Disney resort was eerily
foreshadowed exactly 30 years ago when a child fought to
save her sibling. The attack happened in 1986 on an
eight-year-old who was playing near a small pond at the
park's Fort Wilderness campground. Paul Richard Santamaria
was squatting by the water when suddenly an enormous female
alligator pounced and bit him on the left leg leaving the
youngster with “multiple lacerations and punctures”.
His sister ran over and tried to pull him by
the armpits but had a “tough time” keeping hold of her
brother, the boy’s mother Roberta said. Paul’s 10-year-old
brother Joseph Jr then started beating the reptile with his
hands forcing the alligator to release its hold and slinked
back into the water...
Disney Attack Neighboring Resort Warned of Alligators
6/15/2016 7:13 AM PDT - A resort just a few
miles from Disney's Seven Seas Lagoon where a 2-year-old was
attacked by an alligator had a clear warning sign -- BEWARE
OF ALLIGATORS. The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress has a lagoon
similar to the one at the Disney Grand Floridian Resort. As
we reported, the Disney resort has a sign saying NO
SWIMMING, but no mention of alligators. The Hyatt went the
extra step and warned of gators.
As we reported, a gator was allegedly caught
on video in the Seven Seas Lagoon just days before the
attack. We called several other nearby Disney resorts, and
we were told there were no signs warning of alligators ...
just that the waters were not for swimming.
http://www.tmz.com
Body of two-year-old boy killed by alligator recovered
as Disney World beaches closed
16 June 2016 5:35am - Police and wildlife
officials launched an investigation into the safety of
beaches at Walt Disney World amid a massive hunt for the
body of a two-year-old boy killed when he was dragged into a
lagoon by an alligator. All nine Disney World resort beaches
were closed after the attack on Tuesday night. Approximately
18 hours after the search began, the boy's body was
recovered by divers. He was identified as Lane Graves of Elk
Horn, Nebraska.
Lane's father Matt Graves wrestled with the
5-7 foot alligator in a desperate attempt to save his son,
but both alligator and boy disappeared into the Seven Seas
Lagoon. His mother Melissa Graves also darted into the water
in an unsuccessful rescue attempt. The boy’s four-year-old
sister was inside a play pen on the beach. Orange County
sheriff Jerry Demings said he and a Catholic priest had
informed the family that the boy's body had been recovered
near where he vanished and was completely intact...
