Florida officials recover toddler’s body after Disney alligator attack

Officials recovered the body of a two-year-old Nebraska child Wednesday after an alligator dragged the toddler underwater at a Walt Disney World resort the night before, according to social media reports.

Florida law enforcement officials earlier had confirmed there was no hope of rescuing the child last seen late Tuesday standing in ankle-deep water before an alligator dragged the toddler into a manmade lagoon at Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings told reporters that more than 50 people searched the area to recover the boy’s body, saying his family “will no question lose a 2-year-old child,” according to the Associated Press.

The boy waded into the lagoon with his father when the alligator snatched the toddler after 9 p.m. Tuesday at the resort. When the child’s father couldn’t pull his son to safety, the boy’s parents alerted Disney, according to the Associated Press.

Disney Parks closed all beaches at Lake Buena Vista resorts after the alligator seized the boy. Warning signs posted around the park cautioned people not to enter the water, ABC News reported.

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts shared condolences with the family from his state who vacationed at the Disney resort when this tragic accident unfolded, saying, “No family should ever have to experience such horror.”

(2/2) No family should ever have to experience such horror. Our hearts go out to them.

— Gov. Pete Ricketts (@GovRicketts) June 15, 2016