Walt Disney World resort in Florida closed its beaches on Wednesday as law enforcement officials hunted for signs of a 2-year-old boy who was dragged by an alligator into a lagoon at the resort despite his father's rescue attempt, according to officials and CNN reports.
Wildlife officials captured and euthanised four alligators from the lagoon to examine them for traces of the child after the Tuesday night attack but found no evidence they were involved, said Nick Wiley, executive director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The boy, whose name was not released by authorities, was attacked by the reptile at the Seven Seas Lagoon at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Lake Buena Vista near Orlando, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.
The alligator grabbed the boy as he played at the edge of the water while his family, vacationing from Nebraska, relaxed on the shore nearby, sheriff's spokesman Jeff Williamson said at a news conference.
The boy's father rushed into the water after the alligator struck and struggled to release his child from the alligator's grip, Williamson said.
Disney has closed its beaches "out of an abundance of caution," CNN reported, citing a Disney spokesperson.
More than 60 sheriff's deputies and wildlife officials were expected to search for the boy on Wednesday, using sonar technology, helicopters and divers.
The father suffered minor cuts on his arm in the struggle, Williamson said.
A lifeguard on duty also was unable to reach the boy in time, he said.
"He was too far away, apparently, and the gator swam away with the child," Williamson said.
Sheriff Jerry Demings told reporters the alligator was thought to be between 4 and 7 feet (1.2 and 2 metres) long.
Alligators are not uncommon in the Seven Seas Lagoon, a man-made lake reaching 14 feet in depth.
A spokeswoman for Walt Disney World Resort said everyone there was devastated by the tragic accident. "Our thoughts are with the family and we are helping the family," she said.
On May 28, a 3-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, causing zookeepers to kill a gorilla to protect the child.