ORLANDO, Fla.—The father of a toddler killed by an alligator at Walt Disney World last June reached into the animal’s mouth in an attempt to free his son’s head from the reptile’s jaws.
A final report on the death released Monday by Florida’s wildlife agency says that the 7-foot alligator bit 2-year-old Lane Graves’ head as the boy bent down at the edge of a lagoon at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report says the boy died from a crushing bite and drowning.
The report says Lane did nothing to provoke the alligator and that the death is classified as a predatory attack.
When deputies spoke with the parents, the father told them: “We know he is gone.”
A 16-year-old witness told officials he couldn’t stop crying after witnessing the attack.
Since the attack, Disney has put up fences around its ponds, as well as alligator warning signs.
Epoch Times contributed to this report.
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