This Dad Says Two Alligators Got Dangerously Close To His Son At Disney World

It sounds like Walt Disney World in Orlando may have had full knowledge of its alligator problem after a man and his son got too close for comfort with the animals just last year.

David Hiden, of San Diego, has shared the story of how not one, BUT TWO alligators could have snatched his then-6-year-old while they were staying at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, not far from where Lane Graves was killed. But the worst part is the way he details Disney's reaction.

He told People,

He was playing and I looked past his head because something caught my attention and it was an alligator. I grabbed him and brought him up to the path where it's safe. I then noticed a second alligator. When I went up to management, I was expecting them to flip out, immediately call security and get on the loud speaker to tell people to get out of the water. But instead they said, "These are resident pets and they're not harmful. They can't hurt anybody and we've known about them for years."

The revelation comes as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirms it has caught and euthanized the alligator responsible for killing Lane.

A total of six alligators were destroyed in the aftermath of the tragedy.

There was no animal DNA found in Lane's wounds, making it impossible to know if the right one has been killed. But the commission said it is confident the job has been done.

Part of a statement reads,

While results of a bite were inconclusive, subject matter experts were able to conclude that either of the two suspect alligators captured near the attack site were capable of inflicting the observed wounds.

Citations: people