A horrifying tragedy unfolded recently, which left a family's dream vacation at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, shattered.
2-year-old Lane Thomas Graves was believed to be visiting from Nebraska and was busy creating sandcastles and wading ankle deep along the shoreline of the Seven Seas Lagoon outside Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.
Suddenly, a giant alligator arose from the waters and seized the toddler. His dad, Matt Graves, heroically rushed inside the water and started to wrestle the reptile and tried to pry its jaws open. Despite desperate efforts made, the giant creature broke free and dragged the child into the deep water, where they both vanished.
Following the huge 16-hour-long search conducted by rescue teams, Lane's remains were found intact nearby. The medical examiner shared how the child was not eaten but died from cranio-cervical trauma and drowning.
Disney has chosen to alter its guidelines and add more shoreline barriers in the wake of the tragedy.