Disney dream turned to heartbreak when toddler was killed by alligator

Lane Graves was just two years old when he died holidaying at Disney World with his parents and older sister. The Mirror takes a look back at how the tragedy unfolded

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For many mums and dads, Walt Disney World is the ultimate family holiday.

From spying a glimpse of Cinderella's Castle to getting the chance to meet Mickey Mouse himself, the iconic Florida resort brings happiness to millions of youngsters from around the globe each year.

But one family's dream vacation turned into a nightmare when the unthinkable happened. Lane Graves was two years old when he was paddling on the shore of Disney's five star Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and tragedy struck.

To the horror of the tot's parents Matt and Melissa Graves, an alligator grabbed their son and pulled him into the water.

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The reptile, believed to be between 4ft and 7ft long, clenched its jaws around Lane before retreating back into the Seven Seas Lagoon with him.

The devastating incident happened on the evening of June 14, 2016. A diving team from the Orange Country Sheriff Department found Lane's body 16 hours after he was dragged into the water and the county's Sheriff Jerry Demings said: "There is no doubt in my mind the child was drowned by the alligator".

The family from Nebraska had joined several other families at an outdoor movie night at the Orlando resort when the animal launched its attack. The man-made lagoon is surrounded by a beach and Lane had been playing in the sand when he waded into about a foot of water.

Witnesses tried in vain to save the toddler, including his father Matt who tried to prise the alligator's mouth open. Wildlife officials classified the killing as a predatory attack, saying the boy had done nothing to provoke the creature.

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Disney was subsequently criticised for not having posted warning signs about alligators at the lagoon, where swimming was already forbidden, with public notices added to the area. A lighthouse memorial to remember Lane was later placed close to the spot he was taken from.

Alligators are a common sight in Florida, with an estimated population of 1.3 million making for one creature to every three residents. The reptiles can be found in practically all bodies of freshwater in the state.

The creatures will lunge at their prey within a few feet of the shoreline, with an average of eight humans bitten without provocation each year. The best thing to do if attacked is to fight back and make as much noise as possible in order to convince the alligator to drop their prey and retreat.

In October 1986 eight-year-old Paul Santamaria, from the state of New Hampshire, was bitten by a reptile at Disney World's Fort Wilderness resort. A doctor said the alligator had inflicted ''four or five superficial lacerations'' on the boy, who escaped after his older sister managed to pull him from the creature's grip.