Marine divers and a gator tracker searched all night for a 2-year-old boy who was snatched by an alligator at Disney World. The boy was dragged off a man-made beach near Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
The family of 5 arrived from Nebraska on Sunday. The boy was wading in the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon with his parents and sisters when he was snatched by a nearly 7-foot long gator at 9:15 p.m. Tuesday.
In response to the tragedy, all beaches were closed at Disney World’s Lake Buena Vista property, near Orlando.
About 50 wildlife officers and divers searched the islands in the 200-acre lagoon, which is adjacent to Bay Lake, a natural body of water at Disney World.
Four alligators were caught overnight and euthanized to see if the stomach contents contained any sign of the boy.
A Disney spokeswoman told reporters there were “no swimming” signs posted at the Seven Seas Lagoon. But the signs didn’t indicate alligators were lurking nearby.
Officials say the search will continue until the boy if found.
“We’re not leaving until we recover the child,” Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said at a press conference early Wednesday.
