A photo of Lane Graves has been released to the public.
He’s the two-year old boy who was tragically pulled into the water by an alligator while on vacation at Walt Disney World with his family on Tuesday.
After several hours of searching for Graves, his body was discovered (completely intact) by Orange County Sheriff’s dive team on Wednesday afternoon.
The story has gone viral due to both its unusual nature and its utterly heartbreaking nature.
"At about 3:30 today we recovered the remains of the 2-year-old from the water and that body has been turned over to the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said in a press conference yesterday.
He added:
"Autopsy has to confirm, but there’s likely no question in my mind that the child was drowned by the alligator.
"The child was found within the immediate area of where he was last seen. It took some time to go through, but our divers were able to locate the body using sonar equipment."
Authorities and a Catholic priest broke the news to the parents.
“Of course, the family was distraught but also somewhat relieved that we were able to find their son with his body intact, and … that he was located so they can come to grips with what has happened," Demings said.
Graves and his family were on vacation at the famous resort, having flown in from their home town of Elkhorn, Nebraska.
The little boy and his father were playing near the water on Tuesday evening when the alligator came out of nowhere, snatching up the toddler.
According to The Associated Press, the boy’s dad tried desperately to fight off the animal, suffering lacerations on his hand, yet neither he nor a lifeguard could save the infant.
Demings explained that divers found the body in the “immediate area of where he was last seen.”
“I’m going to estimate it was 10 to 15 yards out,” Demings guessed when asked about the exact location.
“What I was told was approximately six feet in the water.”
Disney CEO Bob Iger released a statement after learning the news.
“As a parent and a grandparent, my heart goes out to the Graves family during this time of devastating loss. My thoughts and prayers are with them, and I know everyone at Disney joins me in offering our deepest sympathies,” it read.
It’s an unfathomable tragedy.
Our heart goes out to the child’s family and loved ones.