Body of toddler attacked by alligator at Disney resort recovered

The Grand Floridian Resort near Disney World

(Image credit: CC by: mjmrandomness/Flickr)

last updated 16 June 2016

Update Wednesday, 4:08 p.m.: CNN reports that the body of the toddler has been recovered. Our original post appears below.

The search is on for a toddler dragged into the water by an alligator near Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday night.

Spokeswoman Rose Silva said a 2-year-old child was dragged into the Seven Seas Lagoon at around 9:30 p.m. Rescuers have spent hours combing the lake for the boy, and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said they hope to find the boy before daylight, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Demings said the boy and four members of his family were on the shoreline when the child was attacked by the alligator, estimated to be between four and seven feet long. His father went into the water and attempted to grab him, but he was unsuccessful and sustained scratches to his hands.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox