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.

news.sky.com/story/1712563/boy-snatched-by-alligator-at-disney-found-dead

Alligators, like sharks, are very common In Florida. I've been in beaches in both the east and west coasts of the state and seen around 30 fins within a stones throw from the beach, not to mention the Rays that sit on the bottom in the shallows. No water in florida is safe and I've never let my children go anywhere except a hotel swimming pool that I have checked first and is fenced with a heavy, self closing gate.

I've never been fortunate to go to Florida as a child or adult, but I must admit I would be more alert now if I was in the position to take DD. I didn't know their waters were so dangerous

It says he was 10 foot from the shore, paddling.

This is not Disney's fault, however sad an occurrence it may be.

I'm surprised at the lack of awareness of alligators in Florida from people who have been there. There are alligators everywhere, real ones, toy ones, in place / shop names and tacky souvenirs.

It might be the first time someone has been killed, but there have been near misses.

They employ a full time staff to control, catch and relocate the Alligators.

Its Florida, its Alligator territory, if you're foolish enough to go somewhere and not be fully abreast of the wildlife and dangers around the waterways in a wildlife habitat, even inside a resort like that, then you can't be surprised when something untoward happens, be it a snake bite or worse.

No Swimming means stay out of the water.

If you were on a British Beach with a riptide and the red flags were out, would you let your kids paddle between the red flags? You wouldn't, because the lifeguards would kick your ass.

"No Swimming" is a red flag. Don't go in the water.

Lilac doesn't matter now but it was the Fox News report. Been updated to confirm that he is intact and the mention of the parents not being allowed to see him removed entirely. Perhaps it was an error their end.

A body that has been in water for any length of time may not be one that parents would want to view. It may not mean he isn't 'intact'.

Lilac, I'm genuinely surprised at your persistence on banging a drum here. It's really inappropriate.

Lilac, every comment of yours on this thread is totally inappropriate. This is a toddler who has been killed.

Well, that is a nice post Maddy

well said expat

And I've said repeatedly it's tragic that a toddler has died. But for authorities to over-react by killing wildlife is tragic too. I don't see why this isn't a valid point of discussion of a public news event. It's doubtful that the toddler's parents are on this thread.

And I'm hardly the only person on the thread to point out the ubiquity of alligators in Florida or to opine that Disney not be blamed for this incident, which after all is unprecedented in some 40 years of the park being operated.

think there's more to this v sad story. time will tell i guess.its such an unusual occurrence.

What more could there be stare?

This is absolutely awful. I dont even want to imagine how it was for the parents.
The awful knee jerk killing of random alligators is weird.

Samcro - do you really not understand why they were killing the alligators

Not really

I imagine the Alligator killing is because once one has learned that humans are prey, it could and would strike again.

They have to remove it, and euthanise it (i might be wrong but my memory tickles something about it being a legal requirement after a human death), but they have to make sure they have the right one.

I wish there was a better way to tell, but killing and examining the stomach contents is the only way.

Apparently they kept the search to the area of the lake the boy was taken from and subsequently found and are confident they will have got the right one.

Im more bothered by the lack of signage about the Alligators, yet they found FIVE in that area!

How many more are in that lagoon?

Had it been my own dc. I'm not sure I'd care how many alligators had to be killed to retrieve the dc.

Lilac piss off and start a thread of your own why don't you? Preferably in AIBU.

Thank God they've found him - it doesn't make any of this any better, but at least they'll be able to lay the poor little lad to rest properly

It's hardly going to mean the extinction of the species.

Agree Maddy. Five is a shockingly high number and it seems as though they will continue to search for more.

I do wonder how so many alligators can get into this man made lagoon. Is it common just to see them walking around? If you saw an alligator entering the lagoon would you alert someone? Or is that just a pretty standard thing to see? I've not been there so I can't imagine what it's like.

Ty for explaining madhatter