Two year old snatched by alligator at Disney World (FL) resort

[twinsissv]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/15/us/alligator-attacks-child-disney-florida/index.html

This is truly horrible. A family of 4 from Nebraska was relaxing at the edge of a lagoon, on a sandy beach, at the Disney resort in Florida when their 2 year old boy was taken by an Alligator. The father tried to rescue the child but was unsuccessful. Breaking news on major networks showed the police being interviewed. A search for the alligator and the toddler is going on.

Praying for the child and that poor family. It must be devastating.

Is there a curse of some kind on Florida right now? First it was the murder of Christina Grimmie, then the LGBT night club massacre in Orlando, and now this.

Yes. I've always heard that good and bad things come in threes. Florida certainly needs some emotional quietude...fast!
...poor baby...

 

[aliceanne]

That is a pretty ugly looking "lake". I don't even know why they would make something like that on their property knowing that it would not only attract alligators, but mosquitoes too. It looks like it could harbor some nasty bacteria as well as just plain stink. They should have stuck to a fenced pool.

 

[Anita18]

Maybe, but a couple grabbed a newborn bison in Yellowstone and put it in their car because they thought it had been abandoned by the mother. It hadn't. But then the mother wouldn't accept it and the park had to euthanize the baby. Because people think animals are like they are in cartoons. I once saw an idiot feeding big horn sheep out of their car window in Banff. Right up until the ewe reared up on the car and shoved her head in the window after more food. This in spite of signs everywhere that said don't feed the sheep. We at ruined paint job on the vehicle she did with her hooves. Plus, it ticked her off when they tried to roll the window up on her head and she butted the door of the car. This is not the fault of a child or the alligator. It's the fault of two adults who should have better sense.

Sure, but those people are certifiable idiots. This family was from Nebraska, they might not have realized the extent of alligator danger in basically every body of fresh water in Florida. You have to at least give people a chance of making an educated decision, instead of assuming everyone will ignore a properly worded warning.

 

[genevieve]

NM, I had incorrect information

 

[PDilemma]

Sure, but those people are certifiable idiots. This family was from Nebraska, they might not have realized the extent of alligator danger in basically every body of fresh water in Florida. You have to at least give people a chance of making an educated decision, instead of assuming everyone will ignore a properly worded warning.

In Nebraska, swimming, tubing, rafting, kayaking, boating, water skiing, heck--standing in the water to fish are all normal summer activities in lakes and rivers. Most people here grew up doing some or all of these activities on a regular basis. Nothing dangerous about it. The only time it is not allowed is if there is some sort of algae or bacterial issue with the lake and posted signs will then tell you to stay out of the water completely, not merely say "no swimming". I can understand how a family from here would not realize the danger.

 

[Sylvia]

Tweeted by CNN:

The 2-year-old boy grabbed by alligator at Disney hotel has been found dead, a source says cnn.it/1WNUDmQcnn.it/1VZNu1F

 

[Susan1]

That is a pretty ugly looking "lake". I don't even know why they would make something like that on their property knowing that it would not only attract alligators, but mosquitoes too. It looks like it could harbor some nasty bacteria as well as just plain stink. They should have stuck to a fenced pool.

I have never been to Florida, but I don't understand why they would put a non-usable (if that's a word) dirty lake in the middle of a resort. What are people supposed to do, sit on their balconies and look at it? Alligators are all over. They don't read signs! They walk right into people's yards. I had a friend move down to Jacksonville Beach years ago and she said they were warned not to let their small dogs out until they got strong alligator fencing.

I see a lawsuit coming. Poor Orlando! I'd hate to work for the tourism department about now.

 

[attyfan]

I also don't think it is uncommon for people to think that they are safe when on a resort property. When visiting Yosemite, for example, I am not surprised to see wildlife on the trail, but I certainly don't expect to see a bear or a deer inside the Ahwanee Hotel (sorry, now Majestic Yosemite Hotel)

Prayers for the family ... this is horrible.

 

[maatTheViking]

I feel so sad for the family and the toddler.

Why I do think people need to exercise good judgement and not rely on warnings, I think I might have let my kids wade in a place like that.
Looking at the picture it is right IN the resort, with beach chairs and so forth. Not being from Florida, I assume a 'No Swimming' sign in a place like this means a) dangerous undercurrents or b) no life guards, don't sue us if you drown or possible c) bacteria/algea in the water.

For the latter I would expect there to be a 'stay out of the water' sign.

Given that this is a family resort, with guests from probably all over the US and the world, I am puzzled why there wouldn't be more specific alligator warnings. Like in London, where I recall many crosswalks had big signs telling people to look in the proper direction (given many tourists are accustomed to cars driving on the right).

 

[once_upon]

Aren't some swamp lake habitats protected/endangered lands/bodies of water in Florida?
Why are we assuming Disney put the "unsightly" water on its property?

 

[IceAlisa]

A lawyer on the Fox News radio puts it squarely on Disney. The child was not swimming, just splashing at the water's edge where no warning signs of alligator activity were posted. Apparently Disney, as host has a broad legal responsibility to insure the safety of its guests against all known and knowable dangers. People familiar with the resort property say that at night it's like Jurassic Park in terms of alligator presence.

The resort area is set up as a beach with beach chairs, a life guard (a lot of good they do in case of an alligator attack), pool, etc. Yes, the couple might have known better but being from Nebraska and thinking they are safe on Disney property, they didn't. Reading the No Swimming sign was useless since no one was swimming.

 

[Karina1974]

If the sign did say "No swimming," they might have assumed that wading was safe.

I have been to the pool or beach many times when management has had to clear the water due to a thunderstorm coming in, or because there was blood or, yes, shit from un-pottytrained infants or toddlers still in diapers, in the pool water. NEVER have I seen them give a pass to those people who want to wade in the shallows or sit on the pool edge and stick their feet in the water. "No swimming" means no one is allowed in. Period.

And being from Nebraska is no excuse. I am from upstate NY and except for two trips to PR in 2004 and 2005, have never been outside of the New England/North Atlantic area. Yet *I* know the alligator is the official state reptile in multiple Southern states. And I learned about their high population numbers LOOOOOOOOOONG before the Internet and Google ever existed so people could do research on the places they are going to be visiting.

 

[IceAlisa]

I have been to the pool or beach many times when management has had to clear the water due to a thunderstorm coming in, or because there was blood or, yes, shit from un-pottytrained infants or toddlers still in diapers, in the pool water. NEVER have I seen them give a pass to those people who want to wade in the shallows or sit on the pool edge and stick their feet in the water. "No swimming" means no one is allowed in. Period.

Why? No swimming means no swimming only. Is there any hidden meaning I am missing? Just curious, what do you think "No diving" means?

 

[skatingfan5]

Aren't some swamp lake habitats protected/endangered lands/bodies of water in Florida?
Why are we assuming Disney put the "unsightly" water on its property?

Some swamp "lakes" may be protected, but the Seven Seas Lagoon is not. When I googled it, I found this info:

The 200-acre man-made lagoon was actually low wetlands. It was too swampy to be developed. So Disney opted to dig it out and turn it into a recreational area.

Also that they originally allowed swimming but have since prohibited it.

 

[judiz]

My mom lives in Florida and she said it is not unusual to see alligators sunning themselves on the golf course, on people's porches etc. She said people are told not to put their feet in the water at the canal even to cool them off because an alligator could be under the surface. Anyone know if any written warning about alligators was given to guests upon check in to the hotel or was it assumed everyone knew alligators are in all bodies of water in Florida?

 

[aliceanne]

Aren't some swamp lake habitats protected/endangered lands/bodies of water in Florida?
Why are we assuming Disney put the "unsightly" water on its property?

Because the article says it is a man-made lake. Granted they could have made it out of an existing swamp, but why create a beach in a hazardous area?

 

[IceAlisa]

My mom lives in Florida and she said it is not unusual to see alligators sunning themselves on the golf course, on people's porches etc. She said people are told not to put their feet in the water at the canal even to cool them off because an alligator could be under the surface. Anyone know if any written warning about alligators was given to guests upon check in to the hotel or was it assumed everyone knew alligators are in all bodies of water in Florida?

Yes, I recall a discussion here on FSU about gators in Florida and how if your golf ball goes into a water hazard, you leave it there. Again, some of us educate ourselves about these things and others do not. Disney is legally responsible. They say the case would not make it to court and would be settled.

 

[skatingfan5]

Because the article says it is a man-made lake. Granted they could have made it out of an existing swamp, but why create a beach in a hazardous area?

There is a natural lake (Bay Lake) that this man-made lagoon connects to. Both are on Disney-owned/developed land. From what I have read, many of the activities originally planned for the lagoon have not succeeded.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Todler's body found. RIP. poor kid, poor parents, and poor alligators who were gutted for nothing.

http://www.wesh.com/news/so-child-d...r-disneys-grand-floridian-resort-spa/40058064

 

[TOADS]

When Disney first opened they had River Country which was east of the Contempery Hotel and south of Discovery Island. A 11 year old boy died of a bad infection caused by the ameba and it was found that this parasite had spread to the point that they closed River Country in 2001 and forbade swimming in any portion of the lake, including 7 seas lagoon. This parasite is common to most of Florida's lakes and through many other lakes throughout the south where temperatures are very warm for long period of times.

The lake around 7 seas lagoon does have a very marine smell to it and there is a lot of brown algae which makes it unpleasant to dip your foot in.

There use to be a lot of boats on the lagoon from the various hotels but they cut that out as well. I imagine the drop in boat traffic allowed for the alligators to move into the 7 seas lagoon through the canal, that is just south of the Contemporary Hotel.

 

[PDilemma]

I have been to the pool or beach many times when management has had to clear the water due to a thunderstorm coming in, or because there was blood or, yes, shit from un-pottytrained infants or toddlers still in diapers, in the pool water. NEVER have I seen them give a pass to those people who want to wade in the shallows or sit on the pool edge and stick their feet in the water. "No swimming" means no one is allowed in. Period.

And being from Nebraska is no excuse. I am from upstate NY and except for two trips to PR in 2004 and 2005, have never been outside of the New England/North Atlantic area. Yet *I* know the alligator is the official state reptile in multiple Southern states. And I learned about their high population numbers LOOOOOOOOOONG before the Internet and Google ever existed so people could do research on the places they are going to be visiting.

How do you do this research? Do you google "bizarre accidents I could have in (place)"?

Most people don't live in constant paranoia enough to research ways they might die on vacation.

If I were planning a Disney resort trip, it would not even occur to me to research potential freshwater swimming or wading hazards as that is not an activity typically considered part of a Disney vacation. Frankly, "how I might die on vacation" is never a research matter for me or anyone I know. Common sense safety is important, but most people assume (rightly) that they can figure those things out. And most people, as pointed out here, feel that a resort area is as secure as possible from extreme dangers--that is part of what they are paying for at a resort. Most places with consistent safety issues and high numbers of tourists also have sufficient clear warnings posted as has been mentioned here as well--warnings which allow people to apply their own common sense without prior paranoid research. An example that comes to mind are warning signs in subway stations that I have seen both in DC and London that the station has a high rate of pickpockets and passengers should secure their belongings. I do not have to research every subway station to see which are the worst because the cities have made passengers aware.

 

[marbri]

All the places I have lived or visited "No Swimming" signs relate to some sort of pollution or currents.
I tend to heed these warnings though I might, on a warm or hot day, walk along the shore. I enjoy walking in the sand as the water moves in and out.
I've also seen plenty of nature films and shows/movies in general to know that while in Florida I'd be weary of alligators around natural bodies of water and the everglades. Am also aware that small children in particular are at greater danger from attacks by alligators or crocodiles when they wade in water at the shoreline.

But I've seen pictures and video of this resort and if the reason for the "No Swimming" signs was due to alligators I'd have liked that clarified a bit more. The whole Disney setting is so unnatural and commercial that I can see why it's not something that would occur to tourists, especially those coming from the north. Again I would have been uneasy at any natural body of water in Florida but based on what I have seen I don't think I would have put this lagoon in that category.

Can't imagine what those parents are going through. How horrific it must be to give every ounce of strength you have to hold onto your child only to see it pulled away like that. Nothing but sympathy, no judgement, for the two of them.

 

[AxelAnnie]

This one is totally my favorite.

Back Seat Driving

When an elderly couple stopped to film some bears at Dunraven Pass in
Yellowstone, a young bear crawled into their car searching for food.
Unable to make the bear leave, the exasperated (but well-dressed) couple
drove about 17 miles to the ranger station at Canyon Village with the
bear in the backseat. When the husband got out to report the incident,
the bear hopped over into the front seat so that investigating rangers
found the woman in the passenger seat and the bear behind the wheel.

 

[overedge]

But I've seen pictures and video of this resort and if the reason for the "No Swimming" signs was due to alligators I'd have liked that clarified a bit more. The whole Disney setting is so unnatural and commercial that I can see why it's not something that would occur to tourists, especially those coming from the north.

This, plus Disney's reputation for being obsessed about providing a good "guest experience". I think most people would assume that Disney has taken care of potential hazards on their property. But OTOH the "No Swimming" signs could have been because of bugs in the water, pollution, or lots of other non-alligator-related hazards. So I am not sure the parents made a good decision in letting their kid go wading.

 

[Vash01]

The boy's body was found, with only a few puncture wounds. I don't know if this bring closure; at least now they know. It has to be indescribably painful. My heartfelt sympathies to the grieving parents.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/15/us/alligator-attacks-child-disney-florida/index.html

 

[Susan1]

O.k. - I HAVE got to stop watching the news - After they found the boy, at the press conference, a reporter asked if they got the right alligator. Uh, what are they going to do -- arrest it for doing what alligators do? Pick it out of an alligator lineup? A terrible, terrible tragedy, but Geez Louise.

 

[AYS]

The boy's body was found, with only a few puncture wounds. I don't know if this bring closure; at least now they know. It has to be indescribably painful. My heartfelt sympathies to the grieving parents.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/15/us/alligator-attacks-child-disney-florida/index.html

As utterly horrible as this is, there is probably a tiny degree of comfort in recovering the body reasonably intact. Think of the alternative.

 

[Vash01]

As utterly horrible as this is, there is probably a tiny degree of comfort in recovering the body reasonably intact. Think of the alternative.

To be honest, I had feared the alternative. At least now they can put their precious son's body to rest, and try to move on.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Well, at least it is over. That poor child. I watched a video clip of the sheriff's press conference. Their last name (Graves) is most unfortunate.

I officially know more than I every wanted to know about alligators!

The Alligator Diet

When it is time to eat, alligators are neither hunters nor gatherers. They are lurkers. They wait for something edible to swim or walk nearby and they lunge at it with incredible speed. Using their tails, alligators can push themselves up to 5 feet out of the water to snag small animals in low-hanging tree branches.

Alligators will eat almost anything they can capture -- fish, turtles, frogs, birds, small mammals, and sometimes even larger mammals like deer. Alligators capture all of these creatures by lurking in the water.

 

[sk8pics]

I feel terrible for the family, especially the father who fought in vain to save his child. A news reporter spoke about how fathers promise to protect their children from monsters and such. He faced a real life monster and failed. He will have to live with that knowledge forever.

I also think the parents made a poor decision. A sign says No Swimming, and you let your toddler wade in it? He was a couple of feet in the water, so past the water line. A small child wading in the water could easily start splashing or flailing around or sit down in the water. I like to think I would not let my child behave similarly. I like to think I would take a no swimming warning to also mean, don't let your toddler splash around. But I think we as a society have become lax about following posted rules, and it seems the parents decided the sign did not apply to what they were allowing their child to do. They will have to live with that mistake forever too.

And perhaps Disney was at fault as well. Or maybe there was other signage or there were other warnings, I don't know. I remember going to Orlando to Disney when I was a senior in college, a long time ago, and we all knew there were alligators everywhere and in fact we saw them. No matter whether the Disney folks think they are at fault or not, I'm sure they will settle any lawsuit rather than go to trial. Such a tragedy and it's not like there will be a class action suit... Just such a sad situation.