Walt Disney alligator drags toddler into lake
A search is still underway for a 2-year-old Nebraska boy who was dragged by an alligator into a lake Tuesday evening at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Bay Lake, Florida, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Officials are optimistic they will recover the boy's body from the artificial Seven Seas Lagoon, located on Disney property. At this point rescue teams want to give the family "closure," said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.
Walt Disney Resort has temporarily shuttered its resort beach areas and recreational marinas in the wake of the gator attack.
"Everyone here at the Walt Disney World Resort is devastated by this tragic accident. Our thoughts are with the family. We are helping the family and doing everything we can to assist law enforcement," Jacquee Wahler, vice president of Walt Disney World Resort, said in a statement.
Dozens of rescue crews -- including the Florida Fish and Wildlife, Reedy Creek Fire Rescue and the Orange County Sheriff's Office –- are actively searching the lake.
The boy was "playing" in the water when the alligator snatched and dragged him into the lake, officials said. The attack occurred around 9:15 p.m.
"The father entered the water and tried to grab the child from the gator, but was not successful," Demings said.
The boy's parents then alerted a nearby lifeguard that an alligator had attacked the boy.
Officials estimate the alligator was between 4 and 7 feet long.
Counselors and victims’ advocates are with the family.
Dozens of officers, in addition to rescue teams consisting of choppers and maritime units used sonar equipment and intense spotlights as a part of the search Tuesday night and into the morning.
There are no warning signs of gators in the area, but there are notices posted against swimming in the man-made lake.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News.
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