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.

Maybe in the states especially in Florida no swimming has a very specific meaning. I suspect Disney don't want people not staying if there are signs about alligators all around and people think they're likely to be attacked. But the alligator wasn't on the beach he was in the water. I so feel for this poor family. If you don't know about gators and you're not made aware that they're in every bit of water I suppose you wouldn't think too much about a no swimming sign. I'd have properly not let my little one paddle in a lake at night because it's night. Disney however do need to step up and inform people in a much clearer way about the wildlife and gators.

Disney have made it a bit misleading that they've built a beach. You'd think with a beach you can go in the water. But gator signs probably aren't good for business.

I know there alligators in Florida. I've seen pictures of them walking across golf courses on the news. My cousin lives in Miami and emailed us a photo of one sunbathing in her garden.

I wouldn't even think about alligators being in Disney. I'd assume they had some sort of plan to keep them out and would warn you if they'd been spotted nearby.

I wouldn't in a million years assume no swimming = alligator risk.

In hindsight and looking at the maps linked to I can see how it would impossble for Disney to keep them out but what happened to this family was a terrible, tragic accident. They are in no way to blame.

Disney should and most likely will offer them compensation and reasses the beach acess/warnings they have in place.

would you expect that lion wandering around your hotel resort?

I guess that would depend on where the hotel resort was. In the middle of a city, say, I probably wouldn't expect to see wildlife, but if the hotel was in a rural area - or worse, built on land already occupied by dangerous creatures - it's certainly something I'd now be more careful about

Admittedly I was being lighthearted when I mentioned raccoons earlier, but it wasn't so funny when I got chased by one in a National Park - clearly sick, foaming mouth, the lot. I learned later there was a local outbreak of rabies, but while luckily I didn't get bitten, I certainly didn't blame the park for not putting up signs - I blamed myself for being stupid enough to go wandering through grassland in open toed shoes in such an area

As I've said, we all sometimes make mistakes - and sometimes, tragically, the odds work out against us

I don't know why Disney don't make the alligator warnings clear. It's hardly going to put people off going, Everglades National Park is visited by millions every year. Yosemite National Park has 15 fatalities a year and they still have plenty of visitors.

I know people that love the gator aspect of Florida. A sign saying WARNING GATORS is usually a tourist attraction, it doesn't put people off going to and enjoying Florida but it keeps people out of the water.

It is a shame that Disney put their profits above safety and this little boy tragically lost his life.

For anyone who doubts they get absolutely everywhere ...

Not exactly what you want to see when opening your front door to fetch the post

WDW built a hotel.
They created a manmade lagoon.
They knew alligators would populate it.
They created a beach.
They encouraged families to use it.
They knowingly created an environment where lethal animals thrive and encouraged their guests to get too close to the animals' habitat.

They were not explicit about the risk they were exposing guests too.
They know that their guests will not be as familiar with alligator risks as locals.
WDW could have foreseen this.
They will have foreseen this.
They could have decided creating a lagoon was a bad idea in Florida within Disney property.
They could have chosen not to create a beach.
They could have chosen to fence off the water.
They could have made signs explaining that even being on the sandy beach posed a significant risk from alligators.
I bet there are signs on every bedroom door with fire evacuation procedures.
They understand risk.
They could reasonably have anticipated an alligator attack on a beach they had created for guests to use.
They did not take steps to prevent what was a matter of time.
I hope they are found liable for encouraging guests into using a dangerous habitat of their own creation and failing to warn or protect those guests of the very real danger.

'Maybe in the states especially in Florida no swimming has a very specific meaning.'

No, it doesn't. I'm from there. I'd take it to mean just what it means in the English language. The only reason I wouldn't let my kids get into a body of freshwater in any southern coastal state is because I'm aware there could be gators, water moccasins and/or fire ants in there.

Hairylittlepoet - I couldn't agree more.

Releasing a photo like this makes it seem even sadder if that's possible. My heart breaks for them all..

Of course this is shocking and very sad but it reiterates the lesson of the dreadful shooting of the gorilla - anyone in charge of a child should make keeping the child safe the priority - all the time.

I agree with expatinscotland no swimming to anyone means the water is bad. Here are what signs in Florida say

Fire ants in the water? Have they mutated or summat?

I grew up in New England. I learned to swim in the local pond. To me, "No Swimming" signs usually meant something like lots of weeds that would wrap round your legs and drag you under. Or maybe snapping turtles not that snapping turtles ever stopped us from swimming out to get out sailboat to shore . In the absence of a "Danger" sign, I would have assumed it was OK to stick your feet in.

jennywren40 if your child was playing in the park and an aeroplane crash landed in the park, would you be guilty of not keeping your child safe?
The child was paddling in water, on a beach, next to a playground. I hold my hand up and say I have let my children paddle in shallow water, in water that might not be a good idea to swim in. A little paddle or play on the beach was, in my risk assessment, ok. I'm sure I am not the only one who has done that.

Accidents happen. Some accidents we cannot foresee

No, what am I on about, ALL accidents we cannot foresee!

This was at Myakka River State Park in Florida - and yes, those are swimmers in the water

A reminder, perhaps, that signs don't always make any difference?

The report in the Guardian says the child was ankle deep in the water.

They caught 5 'gators that night.

A 'no swimming' sign means 'no swimming', not 'no paddling in the shallows, no being close enough to the water's edge for a 'gator to grab you',

Wow... I see what you mean Puzzledandpissedoff.

But that sign says "swim with caution" even though there are alligators and they are not denying it. So it is okay to swim in an area where there could be alligators?? Those swimmers seem to think so.

The WDW sign said no swimming, so there shouldn't have been anyone in the water. That sign was more specific to that, and probably rising the level of safety if no one is in the water. However, I agree that the dangers should be highlighted in the signs (and I'm sure this would happen after this incident). As I had no idea about the amoeba in the water that is also highly risky, or that moccasin snake. I would want to know all those things, and see very clearly that those are the reasons why swimming is not allowed. That would also help parents to make an informed decision whether it is okay for a small child to go paddling in shallow water even though technically it is not swimming.

anyone in charge of a child should make keeping the child safe the priority - all the time.

Yep. Definitely not the responsibility of zoos to build child proof enclosures. Nor of the family hotels to build fences around alligator habitats.
balcony railings? Over-rated.
Fireguards? Unneccessary
school gates? Molly coddling.
Accreditations for child carers? Who needs em.

Because the people who build hotels, zoos, schools, promote their child safety credentials - yeah, no responsibility at all. Why should we expect them to have safety standards? It's not like they take our money and have a duty of care and a legal responsibility to assess risk and provide a safew environment for the chidden in their care...

Dizzy - your more scared of London than Cape Town or Florida?

Puzzled: that sign says 'swim with caution' and 'swim within the designated swimming area' and the people in the lake do seem to be inside a ring of floating buoys.

But you are right, people do not always pay attention to signs. But if the sign isn't there, they don't get that choice. If I ha a toddler and there was a sign warning of the possibility of alligators I would damn well pay full attention. I want to be given that choice.

Puzzled that sign is ridiculous - would never swim in an area with alligators... they're animals and I wouldn't trust or not trust one to attack etc.

hairy good post

Jennywren. Have you see how fast an alligator attacks? My understanding is they were watching him.
My parental risk assessment would have been
Drowning
Getting lost
Something sharp on the beach
Stranger danger

It would not have been alligator.

^ Yep. Same here.

The beach looked lovely. My little one loves to paddle. I might not have gone out ten feet (although that's what? 1 and a bit dp's height) because I am very scared of drop offs, but we would have paddled.
I had NO idea of alligators being prevalent in Florida None. Didn't know about red fire ants either.
Terrified of crocs. Don't know why: "swam" with sharks, have held spiders and snakes but crocodiles and gators scare me. Too much Croc Dundee/Lake Placid I guess. So trust me when I say, the alligator signs would have worked. I would not even be on the deckchairs. But the No Swimming sign one? I'd have taken it literally and would have paddled near the edge but ankle deep.
It does not matter what compensation Disney give to this family, and they should in my opinion be paying out $$$$$$ and changing the signage even if it is only the 2nd incident in four decades, however, thousands won't bring their little boy back. Utterly heartbreaking.