Accident of sorts at Disney in Florida, may be upsetting

[CheerfulYank]

A two year old was dragged into the lagoon by an alligator a few hours ago and hasn't been seen since.

It's so awful I feel like I can't breathe. I cannot imagine how scared he/she was and what the parents are feeling.

Accounts vary but apparently they were sitting on the beach either waiting for fireworks or having movie night. It's just too awful. I'm sure it was supposed to be a wonderful trip and now this.

I know the chances that child will be found alive are almost nothing, but I am hoping against hope that he or she is. I just cannot imagine.

I don't think it's Disneys fault. It's like staying at a beach resort and there being a shark attack. Tragic, but not culpable in any way...

I didn't realise that gators can also climb over fences. The fences at Kennedy are angled outwards as they find it harder to climb, I wasn't aware they could do this. I would therefore assume that Disney would have to build a huge fence around the entire resort area in order to be confident that they couldn't get in......due to the sheer size of the place this would be virtually impossible.

This is horrific. That poor child. I can't imagine what this family are going through.

The press conference last night said that the father notified a life guard of the attack. Why would they have life guards if there was a no swimming sign? Someone on another forum posted that they had used a jet ski in this lagoon. So it seems that the lagoon was used recreationally, even more reason for the parents to think it was safe.

The lifeguard was at the swimming pool which is right next to the beach.
Yes the lagoon is used for various water activities - jet ski, parasailing, sailing, water skiing.

I've been to Florida a few times and I can't recall seeing any signs.

I don't ever remember seeing any either Lem. And if I'd seen a warning sign about snakes I know wouldn't have made a return visit.

This is really horrible, poor boy and his family.

It seems like a tragic accident. Nobody's fault - just circumstances and a pretty rare incident.

Alligators, although common in Florida, rarely attack humans.

I have been to WDW several times and visited a few hotels on site, including this one. When we have STAYED at a Disney resort we were told not to go in the waters, only in the pools. We have seen alligators near resorts.

And we knew about alligators - the guidebooks mention them a lot, and there are warnings about alligators in many places in Florida and there are some in WDW resorts. I wouldn't go in any lake/pond/river in Florida - you see alligators in many places and it isn't uncommon to see them, they are even known to find their way into villa pools!

However, it appears on this part of the beach there was only a No Swimming one rather than a Don't go in the water/Alligators type one. So, this family probably didn't really realise the risks - think they'd only just begun their visit too - and it was just a tragic accident.

You can't prevent the alligators entirely, and although there were signs in other areas, for some reason at this place there wasn't.

Sadly I think it is just an accident with no one really at fault at all, sad as it is.

I am, however, surprised there was no one else around at the time - it was not that long off firework time and was potentially movie night time. Were they at a different part of the resort/beach and not at the main area?

You've not been able to swim in the lagoon since early-mid 1990s.

This was, apparently, because of the increase in motorised water vehicles, and potential increased alligator numbers, esp during their mating season, and a fresh water bacteria that could cause issues to humans.

You can rent some water sports stuff but only in certain areas and at certain types of the day.

if I'd seen a warning sign about snakes I know wouldn't have made a return visit

I understand your worry, but - at least with the alligators - isn't it a question of the overall risk? Apparently 18 people have been killed by them since 2000, and when you consider the number of people who visit ...

Not that this is any consolation to the poor lad's family, of course

We were in Orlando last week staying on a Disney Resort not the Grand Floridian but one that had a lake and a beach. There was signage saying do not enter the water but no warnings of Alligators and I regularly saw small children paddling. It makes me shudder to think what might of happened. My kids loved playing on the little man made beach too. That poor little boy and his family.

This is the latest report I think:

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said today there’s “no question” the missing 2-year-old Nebraska boy who was dragged by an alligator into a lake Tuesday evening at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Bay Lake, Florida, is dead.

Rescue teams were initially hopeful that they would find the boy alive, but officials now say the attack was not survivable. After 15 hours, the search is still underway for the toddler’s body in the artificial Seven Seas Lagoon, located on Disney property.

At this point, rescue teams want to give the family closure, officials said.

“This is a tough situation,” Demings said at a news conference. “We know this is a recovery effort at this point. Disney is doing everything it can to make the family comfortable.”

The resort has temporarily shuttered its beach areas and recreational marinas in the wake of the gator attack.

Demings said there are 50 people from the sheriff’s office alone working on the recovery effort.

I actually think WDW failed in its duty of care. It knows it has alligators in its lakes. It knows it has tourists from all over the world who may or may not be clued up on alligators. It chose not to put an explicit sign up, most likely because they decided the risk was small and didn't want to frighten the horses.

Interestingly, I can find no press statement from Disney about the incident.

Disney are very safety conscious and take lots of precautions to try and prevent things like this happening, but sadly alligators are very tough to keep out of water as as much as they try sometimes one is always going to get it, they have been known to turn up in people's swimming pools in residential areas.

Florida is known for alligators just down the road you can visit boggy creek and take a ride on a airboat to go alligator spotting.

Even when we visit local restaurants outside the resort there is usually s pond/ fountain near by and locals I have spoken to have always made it clear you keep your children away.

You just don't go swimming/ paddling anywhere in Florida except in the swimming pools.

It really is tragic and so awful for that little boy and his family but I don't think Disney is in anyway responsible

To do what exactly? Shoot into the water in the general area alligator has disappeared into and hope they don't hit it's victim?

Why 'no question' surely there's no doubt?

I imagine WDW will not respond yet - they will have to take advise first.
They have however taken action and closed all beach areas around the whole WDW resort .

You just don't go swimming / paddling anywhere in Florida except in the swimming pools

Well, there's always the sea - but then of course there are sharks. Apparently there's been about 630 attacks since 2000, with 15 of them fatal, but that's throughout the whole USA news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/shark-attacks-in-the-us/

Again that's no consolation to those involved, but maybe it helps to keep the risk in proportion just a bit?

Armed lifeguards!!!! Seriously!!!

With all due respect I don't think America needs more people with guns.

Disney is going to get an undeserved bad rap for this. At some point personal responsibility has to kick in. Letting a toddler wade in open water at dusk in a state well-known far and wide to be rife with poisonous insects, venomous snakes, alligators and other wildlife isn't very smart.

People who treat bodies of outdoor water the same as a concrete indoor pool at the Holiday Inn sometimes rue the moment. Tragic about this child but killing innocent wildlife and blaming Disney is not on.

Disney won't respond. It would be inadvisable to do so at this point.

They are very likely not liable, though, if the information on US law upthread is correct. The only possible question mark would be if he'd been attacked on the shore, but he was not.

I'm so sorry for the family, and the rescuers. The news have said that chances of recovering anything are now "very slim". I honestly can't imagine how you'd cope with the level of guilt/fear/loss that they must be feeling.

There are signs all over the place... And it's famous for its alligators.. I find it difficult to believe someone wouldn't know they are wild there.

mary there's plenty of people on here, myself included, that wouldn't expect them there. I saw a picture of the beach today, there's no way I'd expect it given how it's set out.
There are not alligator signs on that beach.

As I said earlier in the thread, I knew there were alligators there but simply had no clue they'd be the size they are and possibly pretty much in every body of water you might come across. I don't actually think many people who aren't native to Florida or the southern states would know that tbh.

I wouldn't have known to expect alligators there but I've never been there so never had reason to read up about potential dangers - if I had then maybe I would but I don't know what kind of warnings in guide books/tourist information.

The only thing I would say is that the signs saying "No Swimming" should have been sufficient warning not to enter the water if that is in fact the law, as the family were themselves American so should have been aware of what this meant - more so than someone from abroad. I still don't think anyone would have expected this though.

With the analogy about sharks, can someone who has been there tell us what the warning signs on the beach say? Just interested if it's something similar or more explicit.

Itsaplayonwords I can't speak for all counties/beaches, but after a long time spent in Florida I've never seen permanent, fixed signs saying that sharks may be present. I have, however, seen some "a shark has been sighted" ones on temporarily closed beaches

While no expert, this suggests to me that while it's known they exist in a general area, warnings are saved for when it's felt they're likely to be a problem