The family of the 2-year-old boy who was dragged to his death by an alligator near Disney World released a statement on July 20, saying his parents won’t sue the company.
Matt and Melissa Graves, whose son Lane died last month at the Grand Floridian Resort in Orlando, Florida, said they “are broken.” The statement read, “We will forever struggle to comprehend why this happened to our sweet baby, Lane.”
As such, the family won’t file a lawsuit against Disney.
For now, the Graves “will solely be focused on the future health of our family,” according to the statement.
“As each day passes, the pain gets worse, but we truly appreciate the outpouring of sympathy and warm sentiments we have received from around the world. We know that we can never have Lane back, and therefore, we intend to keep his spirit alive,” the statement read, through starting up a charity called the Lane Thomas Foundation.
“While there is no way to mend our hearts, we can do good work in his honor,” the family says on the website. “If you would like to honor Lane, donations are being accepted on behalf of the Lane Thomas Foundation at the Omaha Community Foundation. We will use these funds to make direct donations to various charitable organizations.”
Disney has not issued a public response.
Lane was on vacation with his family at the Seven Seas Lagoon near the Grand Floridian Resort on June 16 when he was dragged into the lagoon by an alligator. The boy’s father tried to fight off the alligator, but neither he, nor a lifeguard, could save the child, sheriff’s department officials said in a press conference following the boy’s death.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission later said it removed the alligator and euthanized it.
“There are no words to describe the profound sadness we feel for the family of Lane Graves,” stated Nick Wiley, who is the executive director of the agency. “We will continue to keep this family close to our hearts as they deal with the pain and grief of the loss of Lane.”
