The father of a two-year-old boy killed by an alligator near Disney's Grand Floridian Resort told officials a second reptile was involved in the attack. 

Lane Graves was paddling just ten feet from the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon at the upscale resort on June 14 when he was attacked by the predator and dragged into the water. His body was found  'intact' in the water 17 hours later.

His father, Matt Graves, told authorities he was desperately trying to save his son when a second alligator attacked.

But even after fending off his own attack, Graves was unable to pry his toddler from the jaws of the first animal's grasp - and the creature disappeared underwater, taking the child with it.

Florida wildlife officials later announced that they had removed and killed five alligators from the lagoon - including the one they believe dragged the Nebraska toddler to his death.

The park has admitted it routinely catches the reptiles near the resort.

Public records released this week revealed that Capt. Tom Wellons, of the Reedy Creek Fire Department, had emailed two supervisors after he was called to examine Graves' injuries - which he sustained in the attack - the following day.

Wellons said that at first the dad refused to leave' the area until he was eventually persuaded to seek seek medical treatment.

On the way to the hospital, Graves shared 'the horror that he experienced' as his son was being dragged into the lagoon and 'how another gator attacked him as he fought for his son,' Wellons told his superiors.

'This incredibly sweet couple insisted on showing us pictures of their happy son. [The] mom kept referring to him as her 'happy boy,' he added.

Assistant Chief Stan Paynter then forwarded the email to Orange County officials to alert them that there may be a second alligator, documents reveal.

Lane and his marketing company executive father Matt, 42, and mother Melissa, 38, of Elkhorn, Nebraska, had been in Seven Seas Lagoon, despite the 'no swimming' signs close by when the alligator struck.

Ben Wilson, who was visiting Orlando from Indiana, saw the terrifying scene from the balcony of his Grand Floridian room – and said the attack unfolded in less than 30 seconds. Within a minute, the gator and the boy were gone.

At first, Wilson said it sounded like a fight had broken out.

'I looked over and here comes one of the lifeguards,' Wilson told the Orlando Sentinel. 'I looked over and here comes one of the lifeguards.

'He said 'Everybody get out of the water.' The mother was there and she was frantic, running up and down looking.'  

The Seven Seas Lagoon behind the upscale hotel is off limits to guests, and there are 'no swimming' signs posted nearby - but none of them warned about possible alligators in the water, like the signs posted at the Polynesian Village hotel next door.

Walt Disney World had shut down all of its Florida resort beaches and marinas immediately after the attack out of precaution after the incident - the first such death in its 45-year history.

The beaches have all since been reopened but a fence has now been erected and signs put up warning of alligators and snakes in the area. 

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission later issued a statement saying it was confident the alligator responsible for the attack on Lane has been removed. 

Officials said they have based their conclusions on expert analyses and observations by staff with extensive experience in investigating fatal alligator bites.

There was no statement regarding the alligator that attacked Matt Graves but the resort confirmed that five of the creatures had been removed since the incident. 

'Everyone here at the Walt Disney World Resort is devastated by this tragic accident,' Disney communications executive Jacquee Wahler said shortly after the incident. 

 An autopsy showed the boy died from drowning and traumatic injuries.

The beach at the resort is across a lake from the Magic Kingdom. 

The boy's parents, who were on vacation from Nebraska when their son was dragged from the water's edge by the alligator, said they have been 'overwhelmed with the support and love' that have poured in since the tragedy captured national attention.

'Melissa and I continue to deal with the loss of our beloved boy, Lane, and are overwhelmed with the support and love we have received from family and friends in our community as well as from around the country,' father Matt Graves said in the statement issued by their church in Elkhorn, Nebraska, on Saturday.

Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement following the discovery of the boy's body: 'As a parent and a grandparent, my heart goes out to the Graves family during this time of devastating loss.'