Disney plans to remember toddler killed by alligator 1 year ago with lighthouse sculpture
It was one year ago Wednesday that a 2-year-old boy playing near a shoreline at a Disney resort was killed by an alligator.
Now, Walt Disney World is planning to honor Lane Graves, who was visiting with his family from Nebraska on June 14, 2016. The company will add a sculpture of a lighthouse — the symbol of the Lane Thomas Foundation — at an undisclosed site on its property.
“To provide continued awareness of the foundation and its mission, we’ve commissioned an original sculpture of the lighthouse the foundation uses as a symbol of love and hope, to be installed on our property this summer,” George A. Kalogridis, president of Walt Disney World Resort, said in a statement Tuesday.
No ceremony is planned for Wednesday, a Disney World spokeswoman said.
The June 14, 2016, tragedy capped off a dark week in Orlando after “The Voice” singer Christina Grimmie was killed at a concert and 49 people died in a massacre at Pulse nightclub.
Lane was bent over, trying to scoop some sand on the beach area of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa with a plastic bucket, when an alligator appeared out of Seven Seas Lagoon. It grabbed the boy and pulled him in.
His father, Matt Graves, jumped into the water and tried to fight the gator, pulling its snout in an attempt to free his son.
Sixteen hours later, deputies found the body of the toddler. His death was ruled an accident.
In the months since, Disney has made changes. It added signs warning guests of reptiles in its waterways. A boulder wall was also constructed along the edge of the lagoon.
The Graves family has said they did not plan to sue the theme-park giant. Instead, they said they planned to focus on “the future health of our family.”
Matt Graves released a statement two weeks ago, explaining they continue to live quietly and still do not want to talk publicly about that day.
The family celebrated Lane’s birthday in September with dozens of others in their community and let go of hundreds of blue balloons, Lane’s favorite color.
The family started the Lane Thomas Foundation so their son’s name would live on. They want the charity to serve as a “beacon of hope” for families in crisis, according to the charity’s website.
The charity’s Facebook page says the boy’s surname was included because whenever someone asked his name, he’d reply “I’m Lane Thomas. I’m two.”