Four alligators examined as search continues for boy at Disney World

Remains of alligators examined

ORLANDO, Fla. – Wildlife officials pulled four alligators overnight from a lagoon at the upscale Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World after a 2-year-old boy was dragged into the water by an alligator.

Disney has closed beaches at their resort “in an abundance of caution” while divers remained on standby. The sheriff said during a noon news conference that there is "no question" the boy is dead. Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings says some 50 people are now "working on recovering the body." 

Update: Officials continue search for body of 2-year-old attacked by alligator at Disney  

Meanwhile, officials at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said four alligators have been euthanized and cut open so their remains can be examined. It is not clear yet if any of the alligators pulled had any involvement in the child’s disappearance. 

Visitors of the upscale luxury resort were stunned at the news and waited to hear updates on the child. Minnesota residents John and Kim Aho were visiting Disney with their 12-year-old son were shocked to hear the news

We have been to Yellowstone and encountered grizzly bears, but this is just freaky," John Aho said. Kim Aho said their son is leery of the water around the park. "He's a little freaked out about the gator," she said

Officials have said that the search is now a recovery instead of a search and rescue, and more than 50 law enforcement personnel are searching the lagoon along with an alligator tracker and two marine units. Nick Wiley from the FFWCC said that more personnel were being brought in by Wednesday morning to offer some “fresh eyes” for the search.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have said that even though there are more than a million alligators that live throughout Florida, attacks are pretty rare. Officials said there have only been 23 fatalities cause by wild alligators in Florida since 1973 and the likelihood of someone being seriously injured by an unprovoked alligator in Florida is roughly one in 2.4 million.

The beach area is part of the luxury Grand Floridian resort, across the lake from Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park and officials believe that the boy was at the edge of the water when the alligator attacked. The water was dark Tuesday night as searchers frantically looked for the boy.

  The grim news is the latest for a city hammered with tragedy in the past few days. On Sunday, a gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, leaving 49 people dead in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history and the Friday night before, a contestant of season six of ‘The Voice’, Christina Grimmie was shot to death while she signed autographs for fans after a show in Orlando.