Lane Graves’ Parents Ask For Privacy, Cause Of Death Revealed In Autopsy

UPDATE: 8 p.m. EDT: After the death of a Nebraska toddler, Disney will post signs at its Florida resort that warn of alligators in the resort's lake, ABC News reported Thursday. Until now, signs have said only, "No Swimming."

Original Story:

A cause of death has been revealed for Lane Graves, the 2-year-old who died Tuesday at Walt Disney World in Florida. An alligator snatched him while he was playing in only 1 foot of water. A sign near the beach only advised against swimming; it did not warn of alligators.

“This afternoon a complete autopsy was conducted on Lane T. Graves by Dr. Sara Zydowicz, associate medical examiner with the District Nine Medical Examiner’s Office,” a rep for the Orange County, Florida, coroner told Radar Online Thursday. “The cause of death was ruled as a result of drowning and traumatic injuries.”

“There is no further information to release at this time,” the rep said. “We will not be responding to questions regarding the autopsy.”

The boy and his parents, who hail from Nebraska, were visiting Disney World on vacation. The child’s body was found intact in a lake by the Grand Floridian resort, near the Magic Kingdom, by a diving team Wednesday. "The Graves family appreciate the support they have received and have asked for privacy as they grieve the loss of their son," the Orange County Sheriff's Office said in a statement, according to People magazine.

"The child was found within the immediate area of where he was last seen. It took some time to go through, but our divers were able to locate the body using sonar equipment,” Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said. "Of course, the family was distraught, but also somewhat relieved that we were able to find their son with his body intact and that his body was located so they can come to grips with what happened."

The family also said "they do appreciate all of the prayers that have gone forward to allow those of us working to do our jobs to recover their son so that they can move forward at this time with a proper burial," Demings finished.

Lane’s death was the third tragedy to hit the Orlando area in less than a week. Two days before, a gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub, killing 49 people. Days before that attack, former “The Voice” contestant Christina Grimmie was fatally shot after a concert in Orlando.

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