Alligator Grabs Toddler, Drags Him into Lagoon at Disney Hotel, Police Say

[ItsGotHair]

Lake Buena Vista, Florida (CNN)An alligator grabbed a 2-year-old boy and dragged him into a lagoon Tuesday night at a Disney hotel near Orlando as his father desperately tried to save him.

A frantic overnight search to find the boy was unsuccessful, authorities said Wednesday morning, but search efforts will continue with "fresh eyes."

"This is still a search and rescue operation," said Jeff Williamson, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Office. "We are very hopeful. We are hoping for the best."

Hours after the Tuesday night attack, the toddler was still missing despite a frantic overnight search to find him.

The child was "wading just in the water along the lake's edge at the time that the alligator attacked," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said.

Parents rush into water to save son

The family of four -- parents, the boy and his 4-year-old sister -- is on vacation from Nebraska, Demings said. They arrived Sunday.

They watched as the alligator attacked the toddler at the Seven Seas Lagoon.

"The father actually went into the water to wrestle his son from the grips of the alligator," he said. The father suffered minor scratches on his hand, but was unsuccessful in getting his son back.

The mother also went into the water, trying to find her child, he said.

"The sad reality of it is it's been several hours and we're not likely going to recover a live body," Demings said.

He said there is no record of similar incidents in this particular area.

"Everyone here at the Walt Disney Resort is devastated by this tragic accident," said Jacquee Wahler, the vice president of the Walt Disney World Resort .

"Our thoughts are with the family. We are helping the family and doing everything we can to assist law enforcement."

Demings said no reports of nuisance alligators have come in the region recently. The alligator is between 4 and 7 feet long, Demings said, adding he's unsure of its exact size.

Sheriff: Marine units, divers, sonar, choppers & trapper employed to find 2-yo & 4- to 7-foot alligator at #Disney. pic.twitter.com/CKaLQACqew

— Eliott C. McLaughlin (@EliottCNN) June 15, 2016

Baby pen was near water

The Reedy Creek Emergency Services call center first received a report about the attack at 9:16 p.m. ET.

The incident occurred on a sandy waterfront area outside the hotel near the Seven Seas Lagoon on the property.

[Meridian]

Stuff of nightmares poor family

[Dodecahedron]

Oh my actual Christ. He's been eaten

[kellyhound]

Four alligators have been killed by rescuers searching for a toddler who was dragged into the water at a luxury Disney World resort.

Their bodies were examined but there was no evidence that any of them had attacked the two-year-old boy snatched last night.

parents nightmare

[SkinnyFella]

http://www.aol.com/article/2016/06/1...sort/21395629/

Another article says there were No Swimming signs posted on the lake... when will people learn?

[Tyrantus]

Aww, how awful for the family

[Sharon]

Mum and dad watched in horror as a reptile clenched its jaws around their son by the Seven Seas lagoon at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in Orlando, Florida

That image will destroy those poor parents, what a horrific thing to witness

[subhuman]

Inb4 the bad parents try to sue.

[wildaxboxer]

Poor kid...Pity the parents could not have ran into the water, and whisked him into their arms, before hand, instead of waiting till the animal appeared...A 9yr old i could understand, but a 2yr old..what a price to pay, for a lapse in judgment...RIP wee fella...

[mmeroyale]

Wonder If it's one of the african alligators that weren't supposed to be in FL.
But yeah it's awful. Personally it's why I wouldn't dream of touching any natural lakes in Florida