ORLANDO, Fla. -- It was a tragic situation that garnered national attention after a young boy was snatched by a gator while visiting the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando with his family.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report said that a 7-foot alligator bit 2-year-old Lane Graves' head as the boy bent down at the edge of a lagoon gathering sand for a sandcastle at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and that the boy died from a crushing bite and drowning.
Now, the resort has decided to dedicate a lighthouse memorial in his honor.
The lighthouse is the symbol for the Lane Thomas Foundation, an organization started by the boy's parents, according to the Lane Thomas Foundation Facebook page.
Walt Disney World Resort released the following statement on the memorial dedication:
“The lighthouse sculpture has been installed to help spread awareness of the Lane Thomas Foundation, which was established to provide assistance and support to families whose children need organ transplants.”
-- Jacquee Wahler
