ORLANDO, Fla. – Officials at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Orange County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday afternoon that there is no doubt that the 2-year-old boy pulled into a lagoon by an alligator is dead.
We know that we are working on recovering the body of this child at this point. The ultimate goal is to try to bring some closure to the family by recovering their loved one” said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings
The Orange County Sheriff's Office in conjunction with the FWC said they have about 50 people who are working to recover the body of the 2-year-old boy who was dragged into the water by an alligator in front of his family.
Searchers are using sonar equipment as they search a system of lakes and ponds linked by canals to the Seven Seas Lagoon where the 2-year-old was attacked.
The sheriff says that after 15 hours of searching, the attack is "certainly not survivable at this point."
"I just happen to have a 2-year-old grandson so for me this is a very human experience we're talking about," said Sheriff Demings.
Disney has never had an alligator attack like this happen in it's 45 years of operations.
The famous theme park has it's own wildlife management system which works diligently to keep guests safe from alligators and says their wildlife team removes or kills any alligators they find in the lakes on the property.
Four alligators have already been pulled from the waters and are currently being examined.
All beaches in it's Lake Buena Vista resorts are closed as a precaution to guests while recovery efforts continue.