What should have been a happy family vacation ended in tragedy as two-year-old Lane Grave’s body was found after the toddler was allegedly attacked and dragged into the water by an alligator in Orlando, Florida. The incident occurred on the beaches of Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort where the family had ventured outdoors in the evening to watch a movie.
Lane was standing with his mother and holding her hand, wading in the murky, shallow water of the lake next to the beach, when the alleged attack occurred at approximately 9 p.m. Lane’s father, Matt Graves, tried to save his son by diving into the water and prying open the alligator’s mouth but was unsuccessful in his attempt to stop the alligator. He suffered minor injuries on his arms as a result.
After a comprehensive 16-hour search by local authorities, Lane’s body was found approximately 12 to 15 yards from the attack. The body was found mostly intact with several puncture wounds, and experts believe that his death was caused by drowning.
Disney quickly expressed their condolences to the family after the incident and commented that this was the first incident to occur in the 45 years since the canals were constructed at the resort. The lake at the resort, known as The Seven Seas Lagoon, is man-made and separates the resort from the rest of the Magic Kingdom. It connects via canals to water passageways throughout the theme park.
Though Disney had placed signs near the lake that said, “No Swimming Please,” many legal experts believe that the signage isn’t enough to prevent a lawsuit from occurring. Disney is legally responsible for ensuring the reasonable upkeep of the resort and its parks for its guests. The includes appropriate signage that warns guests of dangers that may occur. While the sign did discourage swimming, there was no signage that warned guests of the possibility of alligators in the water or that expressly told guests to completely refrain from entering the water.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee, Disney regularly removed alligators from their property, suggesting that they were aware of the danger that the reptiles posed to their guests. The lack of signage warning of the danger indicates that guests weren’t properly warned of the possibility of alligators. Similar resorts in the area, such as Hyatt Grand Cypress Resort, post signs that both warn guests against swimming and inform them of the possibility of alligators in the water. Because Disney was aware of the risk of alligators and didn’t post the proper signage warning guests of the danger, the company acted negligently and may be held accountable for Lane’s wrongful death and the personal injuries sustained by his father.
Though Disney is now examining all of their signage and changing it to warn guests of the possibility of alligators to prevent future accidents from occurring, it wasn’t enough to warn the Graves family and save the life of their toddler, a mistake that could potentially cost Disney millions of dollars.