There is now a face to the horrible Disney gator tragedy. Authorities late Wednesday released an image of two-year-old Lane Graves, the boy who was killed when an alligator snatched him at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida tweeted a statement after posting the image: “The Graves family appreciate the support they have received and have asked for privacy as they grieve the loss of their son.”
The attack occurred at 9:21 PM ET on Tuesday night. Graves was with his parents, Matt and Melissa Graves, who had traveled from Nebraska to vacation at the resort.
His body was recovered intact Wednesday near the location where the attack occurred. Nick Wiley, executive director of Florida Fish and Wildlife, said they would “make certain that we have the alligator that was involved and remove it from the lake.”
Disney has now closed all the beaches on its resort property.
“As a parent and a grandparent, my heart goes out to the Graves family during this time of devastating loss,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement Wednesday evening. “My thoughts and prayers are with them, and I know everyone at Disney joins me in offering our deepest sympathies.”
A legal expert told TheWrap that Disney could face a “multimillion dollar” lawsuit in the wake of this attack. Attorney Joseph Balice says that the family could sue for wrongful death and possibly negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The attack comes just as Disney was set to open a new theme park in Shanghai, China. Theme parks make up 31 percent of Disney’s annual revenue.