The father of a 2-year-old killed by an alligator at a Disney resort near Orlando reached into the gator's mouth in a futile attempt to save his child. Lane Graves was killed by a crushing bite and drowning, the final report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
PHOTOS: Here's where Lane Graves was standing when the gator attacked
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
FULL COVERAGE
Autopsy complete on Lane Graves’ remains
Parenting blogger’s photo shows kids playing near gator attack site
Rainbows and maybe an angel at the site where Lane Graves died
Lane did nothing to provoke the alligator and that the death is classified as a predatory attack, the report said.
“There are no words to describe the profound sadness we feel for the family of Lane Graves,” FWC executive director
Nick Wiley
said soon after the tragedy. “We will continue to keep this family close to our hearts as they deal with the pain and grief of the loss of Lane.”
Matt and Melissa Graves
of Elkhorn, Neb. had been on vacation with their two children at Disney's Grand Floridian resort when the gator attacked.
“Melissa and I are broken,” Matt Graves wrote. “We will forever struggle to comprehend why this happened to our sweet baby, Lane.
“As each day passes, the pain gets worse, but we truly appreciate the outpouring of sympathy and warm sentiments we have received from around the world.”
“We will solely be focused on the future health of our family and will not be pursuing a lawsuit against Disney,” the statement said.
The statement also said Graves’ parents, Matt and Melissa Graves, were establishing the Lane Thomas Foundation in their son’s honor.
“We know we can never have Lane back, and therefore, we intend to keep his spirit alive through (the foundation),” it said. “It is our hope that through the foundation we will be able to share with others the unimaginable love Lane etched in our hearts.”
The family asked for privacy, “as we focus on our family.”
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