FWC & Orange County Sheriff Offer Final Report on Alligator Attack
FWC and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office have released their final reports regarding the death of Lane Graves on June 14, 2016.
Nick Wiley, FWC Director said, “We continue to pray for the Graves family. FWC would like to thank Disney and our partners at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for the professional collaboration on this thorough investigation. Our agency will continue to work to keep families informed on how they can safely enjoy all that Florida has to offer.”
Here is the official synopsis of the report:
On June 14, 2016, at approximately 2100 hours, children were playing near the water’s edge at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. A witness, Matt Graves, heard a splash and saw an alligator bite his son’s head and pull him into the water. Mr. Graves was close enough to grab the alligator, putting his hands into the animal’s mouth. The alligator began to struggle and broke free from Mr. Graves, injuring his hands. The alligator disappeared into the water with the child. Multiple individuals called 911 for assistance. Fire Rescue personnel and law enforcement officers from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Orange County Sheriff’s Office began a search of the area by land, air and water. The body of the missing child was located underwater by a patrol officer involved in the search and recovered by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office dive team in the Seven Seas Lagoon on the afternoon of June 15, 2016, submerged in approximately seven feet of water near where the initial attack had taken place. Six alligators were subsequently captured from the vicinity, euthanized, and had necropsies performed. Examination of the bite pattern on the victim’s body and an autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was injuries sustained from a severe alligator bite.