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Father Reached Inside Alligator's Jaws In Failed Rescue Attempt, Report Shows

The company says riders will be able to make stops at Disney and the Orlando International Airport as soon as 2022. Photo: Flickr Creative Commons
The company says riders will be able to make stops at Disney and the Orlando International Airport as soon as 2022. Photo: Flickr Creative Commons

The father of a toddler killed in an alligator attack at Walt Disney World reached his hands inside the animal's jaws as he tried to pry them open and free his son.

That's according to a final report released Monday by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The report shows the alligator sank teeth into 2-year-old Lane Graves' skull and neck before drowning him on June 14. The boy's submerged body was recovered the next day.

Lane was building sand castles at Disney's Grand Floridian hotel, using a bucket to scoop water from the Seven Seas Lagoon. Other children were there but not at the time of the attack.

One of two seven-foot-long female alligators is believed to be responsible. Six alligators were euthanized after the attack.

The family was on vacation from Nebraska. They have indicated they will not sue the resort.

Amy Green covered the environment for WMFE until 2023. Her work included the 2020 podcast DRAINED.