Boy jumped into lake a Epcot!

[crxbrett]

Autism aside, here's why it's a bad idea to jump into any body of water at WDW...

I think in this instance, the kid was okay. The fountain ponds this kid jumped into are all pavement and lined with rock everywhere. Don't the amoebas found in the stagnant fresh water ponds/lagoons/lakes/rivers live in the sand or mud or dirt at the bottom? Which in-turn, if it gets stirred up, gets released into the water. With so much concrete and rocks and no actual mud or sediment or dirt or sand for the organisms to burrow, live and breed in, I think this pond is safe like any plaster pool or other concrete fountain at a park would be.

Correct me if I am wrong, though. I am only going off of what I have read in the past.

 

[DisneyMann]

You don't value your kid as much as NASA values their astronauts?

Huh???? Where the hell did u get that from?

 

[larryz]

Huh???? Where the hell did u get that from?

NASA doesn't use "leashes." They use "tethers."

 

[DisneyMann]

NASA doesn't use "leashes." They use "tethers."

Not my point. Clearly you didn't get that.

How do u compare astronauts NEEDING to be attached to the spacecraft or they die....to CHOOSING to use a leash to keep your child near you? Very... drastically different scenarios.

 

[Monorail_Red_77]

I was going to say, the ponds near the Imagination pavilion are super shallow...maybe 2-3 feet deep. And the water is not dark or murky or swampy at all in those ponds. Also, they are not connected to the waterways and canals like all the other water is at Epcot (International Gateway, Boardwalk, WS Lagoon and the Odyssey lagoon are all connected and definitely have wildlife in them (I saw a giant snapping turtle trying to eat some ducks once in the lagoon next to the Odyssey once. I'm sure other critters are in there as well - snakes and gators and whatnot).

This kid was safe from harm as long as he didn't slip and hit his head on the slopes or rocks. I don't see Disney putting in a bigger fence, either. It was a random incident. I am sure this has happened before in the 35 years Epcot has been open. The difference is, everyone has a cell phone to take videos now and there is social media so people can post stuff like this everywhere. There was no way of doing that more than 10 years ago. When something like this happened before, unless you saw it happen and were there to witness it, no one would ever know. Even guests in the park in other areas. Social media makes people aware of so much now - in very negative and positive ways.

Yes, only animals I have seen in theses fountains/ponds are the roaming ducks. You can even see the little ramps they put in, so the ducks can walk out of the water if needed. Now, I gotta find a pic. LOL

 

[larryz]

Not my point. Clearly you didn't get that.

How do u compare astronauts NEEDING to be attached to the spacecraft or they die....to CHOOSING to use a leash to keep your child near you? Very... drastically different scenarios.

NASA could have just as easily called their tethers "leashes." But they didn't, because they respect their astronauts, just like loving parents respect their kids, and a leash is what you use to keep an animal under control.

Maybe you should reflect on why you insist on calling it a "leash."

 

[jaklgreen]

NASA could have just as easily called their tethers "leashes." But they didn't, because they respect their astronauts, just like loving parents respect their kids, and a leash is what you use to keep an animal under control.

Maybe you should reflect on why you insist on calling it a "leash."

Now we are being silly, They both mean the exact same thing. In fact they use one to describe the other.

leash
lēSH/
noun
noun: leash; plural noun: leashes

1. 1.
   a strap or cord for restraining and guiding a dog or other animal.
   synonyms: lead, tether, rope, chain, restraint
   "keep your dog on a leash"
   • FALCONRY
     a thong or string attached to the jesses of a hawk, used for tying it to a perch or a creance.
   • a restraint.
     "her bristling temper was kept on a leash"

verb
verb: leash; 3rd person present: leashes; past tense: leashed; past participle: leashed; gerund or present participle: leashing

1. 1.
   put a leash on (a dog).
   synonyms: put a/the leash on, put a/the lead on, tether, tie up, secure, restrain
   "she leashed the dog"

teth·er
ˈteT͟Hər/
verb
verb: tether; 3rd person present: tethers; past tense: tethered; past participle: tethered; gerund or present participle: tethering

1. 1.
   tie (an animal) with a rope or chain so as to restrict its movement.
   "the horse had been tethered to a post"
   synonyms: tie, tie up, hitch, rope, chain; More
   
   antonyms: unleash
2. 2.
   use (a smartphone) in order to connect a computer or other device to the Internet.
   "one prediction is that tethering will cost around $30 per month, probably with some cap on the amount of data transfer allowed"

noun
noun: tether; plural noun: tethers

1. 1.
   a rope or chain with which an animal is tied to restrict its movement.
   synonyms: rope, chain, cord, leash, lead; More
   

 

[bclane]

This conversation is cracking me up. So are these children being tethered to their parents hand using a strong leash. Or are they leashed to their parents using a strong tether? Oh nevermind. Lol! Carry on...

 

[FettFan]

"Sanitation Engineer"

 

[s&k'smom]

Having spent a lifetime working with children and adults with Autism I can completely see how this could happen. Even with the most experienced staff an individual can act quickly in a way that is very hard to predict.

Most fences would need to be fairly extreme to prevent this type of individual from getting to the water. Many severely autistic children are extremely agile at climbing, with great speed, and no sense of danger.

Appropriate high levels of supervision with a good knowledge of the person is the only mechanism to maintain a person's safety and avoid incidents such as this. The environment can not really be adapted enough to make it safe in most situations.

Thank you for your post. My son has an autism diagnosis and I can totally understand how the parents were probably feeling.

 

[Dave B]

And that's a good reason that if you have a kid you can't control that you put them on a leash. Considering gators have been known to turn up in about every pool of water you can find in Florida this was just asking for a very bad ending. Frankly this is also a case where Disney should ban the kid for life for his own good because apparently his parents aren't watching him worth a flip.

REALLY!!!!!!

 

[larryz]

Now we are being silly, They both mean the exact same thing. In fact they use one to describe the other.

leash
lēSH/
noun
noun: leash; plural noun: leashes

1. 1.
   a strap or cord for restraining and guiding a dog or other animal.
   synonyms: lead, tether, rope, chain, restraint
   "keep your dog on a leash"
   • FALCONRY
     a thong or string attached to the jesses of a hawk, used for tying it to a perch or a creance.
   • a restraint.
     "her bristling temper was kept on a leash"

verb
verb: leash; 3rd person present: leashes; past tense: leashed; past participle: leashed; gerund or present participle: leashing

1. 1.
   put a leash on (a dog).
   synonyms: put a/the leash on, put a/the lead on, tether, tie up, secure, restrain
   "she leashed the dog"

teth·er
ˈteT͟Hər/
verb
verb: tether; 3rd person present: tethers; past tense: tethered; past participle: tethered; gerund or present participle: tethering

1. 1.
   tie (an animal) with a rope or chain so as to restrict its movement.
   "the horse had been tethered to a post"
   synonyms: tie, tie up, hitch, rope, chain; More
   
   antonyms: unleash
2. 2.
   use (a smartphone) in order to connect a computer or other device to the Internet.
   "one prediction is that tethering will cost around $30 per month, probably with some cap on the amount of data transfer allowed"

noun
noun: tether; plural noun: tethers

1. 1.
   a rope or chain with which an animal is tied to restrict its movement.
   synonyms: rope, chain, cord, leash, lead; More

Denotation, perhaps...but it's the connotation that people are tying up their kids like dogs that I don't like. They don't do it out of ownership -- they do it out of love, and so I prefer the term tether.

 

[njDizFan]

Not my point. Clearly you didn't get that.

How do u compare astronauts NEEDING to be attached to the spacecraft or they die....to CHOOSING to use a leash to keep your child near you? Very... drastically different scenarios.

Of course it is all semantics but using a term pejoratively gives it a different context. A leash is used on an animal, which of course what you are trying to emphasize. Tethers are the preferred term for the kiddie harness. If you are using the word leash to lay judgment upon their usage and parenting skills then go ahead and use whatever term you would like. Otherwise they are known as tethers or harnesses.

 

[thomas998]

I think in this instance, the kid was okay. The fountain ponds this kid jumped into are all pavement and lined with rock everywhere. Don't the amoebas found in the stagnant fresh water ponds/lagoons/lakes/rivers live in the sand or mud or dirt at the bottom? Which in-turn, if it gets stirred up, gets released into the water. With so much concrete and rocks and no actual mud or sediment or dirt or sand for the organisms to burrow, live and breed in, I think this pond is safe like any plaster pool or other concrete fountain at a park would be.

Correct me if I am wrong, though. I am only going off of what I have read in the past.

You are correct. Every year a few people in the US especially around the Southern parts will die from the amoebas that enter through the nose and eat the person's brain. I'm not sure of the required temp, but the key to the amoebas is that water needs to be a certain temperature for them to flourish... I've not tested the waters at EPCOT nor do I know if they treat the water in any way.... but I've heard that people doing that sinus flush where you pour water into your sinuses are supposed to use distilled water because it is thought to be possible for some tap water to contain the nasty critters that can kill you.

 

[jaklgreen]

Denotation, perhaps...but it's the connotation that people are tying up their kids like dogs that I don't like. They don't do it out of ownership -- they do it out of love, and so I prefer the term tether.

I worry less about what someone is calling them then the fact that people actually use these things. I have 2 kids that are 13 months apart. Kids at a certain age are runners(usually the 2-3 year olds). Parents just need to hold on to their kids or put them in the stroller instead of tying them up like a dog. Nobody said that parenting was easy. I took my kids solo to WDW when they were 2 and 3 years old and I had no problem keeping them with me. But it is much easier to have them on a tether/leash/harness so that you can check your tweets or take a selfie. People have been parenting for thousands of years without these things but all of a sudden new parents just have to put them on their kids otherwise they will loose them?

 

[njDizFan]

I worry less about what someone is calling them then the fact that people actually use these things. I have 2 kids that are 13 months apart. Kids at a certain age are runners(usually the 2-3 year olds). Parents just need to hold on to their kids or put them in the stroller instead of tying them up like a dog. Nobody said that parenting was easy. I took my kids solo to WDW when they were 2 and 3 years old and I had no problem keeping them with me. But it is much easier to have them on a tether/leash/harness so that you can check your tweets or take a selfie. People have been parenting for thousands of years without these things but all of a sudden new parents just have to put them on their kids otherwise they will loose them?

So in your assessment, anybody that uses these things are bad parents? Pretty judgmental. Everyone thinks their parenting skills far exceed their peers. I'm sure I disagree with many of the ways you decide to raise your kids but if it's not interfering with your enjoyment and the kids aren't in danger, so be it.

 

[jaklgreen]

So in your assessment, anybody that uses these things are bad parents? Pretty judgmental. Everyone thinks their parenting skills far exceed their peers. I'm sure I disagree with many of the ways you decide to raise your kids but if it's not interfering with your enjoyment and the kids aren't in danger, so be it.

I wouldn't say that they were bad parents. More lazy or even just not confident enough in their parenting that they buy into these new "tools" to keep kids safe instead of just being vigilant and attentive. In the past, families were more multi-generational and so new parents had the benefit of experienced parents to help guide them. Now no one wants to listen to their "old fashioned" generation and instead are listening to a bunch of "childhood experts" and are buying into all the new products that parents just have to have now. And it is not benefiting kids, just look around at how kids act in public now. 40 years ago you would not see these kind of meltdown and temper tantrums and no kid was on a tether. And we should judge. The way people behave and act in public affects us all. And it is a sure sign of the downturn of society when everyone is allowed to act as they will with no regard to the society around them.

 

[njDizFan]

I wouldn't say that they were bad parents. More lazy or even just not confident enough in their parenting that they buy into these new "tools" to keep kids safe instead of just being vigilant and attentive. In the past, families were more multi-generational and so new parents had the benefit of experienced parents to help guide them. Now no one wants to listen to their "old fashioned" generation and instead are listening to a bunch of "childhood experts" and are buying into all the new products that parents just have to have now. And it is not benefiting kids, just look around at how kids act in public now. 40 years ago you would not see these kind of meltdown and temper tantrums and no kid was on a tether. And we should judge. The way people behave and act in public affects us all. And it is a sure sign of the downturn of society when everyone is allowed to act as they will with no regard to the society around them.

I agree with much of what you have to say. And don't get me wrong I see bad parenting all the time (yes I am judging) but nobody knows the circumstances of each child. We often fall into the trap and bemoan the loss of the old ways but the bygone era is far from always correct. Advances in the sciences of brain development and nurturing isn't some giant liberal agenda to create a snowflake society. Technology has changed what society we live in today. We don't need the same skills to live and thrive as 500-200 even 50 years ago.

I was the kid that got up in the summer at 7 AM grabbed my bike and was maybe seen again at lunch or dinner. If I got thirsty I ran to a neighbors back yard and grabbed a hose. Give me a bike and a stick and I could make a day of it. Depending how you look at it, unfortunately that is not the world we live in today. Is it creating a lesser society of peoples, eh,...different but no necessarily bad.

I am a parent of 5. So even 4 hands are not enough. On top of that, 2 of my kids have ADHD. For many (like my previous self), I thought that was some made up diagnosis that just meant it was a kid being a kid(maybe a little hyper). It absolutely is not. My kids look exactly like any other healthy 6 year olds but they do not have the ability to sit still, listen to a simple instruction and do not understand how to moderate their emotions. Fear, time-outs, calm talking, misdirection, hitting, none of those tactics work. Going to the supermarket takes the patience of a saint. And I'm sure I may look like I am a bad parent when there is a almost 7 year old crying on the floor and the other one is screaming and running down the aisles(there are good and bad days). BTW, tried tethers and they didn't work for our kids except to closeline unsuspecting children.

 

[jaklgreen]

I agree with much of what you have to say. And don't get me wrong I see bad parenting all the time (yes I am judging) but nobody knows the circumstances of each child. We often fall into the trap and bemoan the loss of the old ways but the bygone era is far from always correct. Advances in the sciences of brain development and nurturing isn't some giant liberal agenda to create a snowflake society. Technology has changed what society we live in today. We don't need the same skills to live and thrive as 500-200 even 50 years ago.

I was the kid that got up in the summer at 7 AM grabbed my bike and was maybe seen again at lunch or dinner. If I got thirsty I ran to a neighbors back yard and grabbed a hose. Give me a bike and a stick and I could make a day of it. Depending how you look at it, unfortunately that is not the world we live in today. Is it creating a lesser society of peoples, eh,...different but no necessarily bad.

I am a parent of 5. So even 4 hands are not enough. On top of that, 2 of my kids have ADHD. For many (like my previous self), I thought that was some made up diagnosis that just meant it was a kid being a kid(maybe a little hyper). It absolutely is not. My kids look exactly like any other healthy 6 year olds but they do not have the ability to sit still, listen to a simple instruction and do not understand how to moderate their emotions. Fear, time-outs, calm talking, misdirection, hitting, none of those tactics work. Going to the supermarket takes the patience of a saint. And I'm sure I may look like I am a bad parent when there is a almost 7 year old crying on the floor and the other one is screaming and running down the aisles(there are good and bad days). BTW, tried tethers and they didn't work for our kids except to closeline unsuspecting children.

I am no expert but I did see a recent article about how they are linking ADHD to sleep apnea. They say if your kid snores that could be a sign and to have them checked out. A lot of the same side affects of sleep apnea appear as ADHD and it is hereditary. I remember in my day that the "hyperactive" kids were sent out to dig a hole to burn off some energy. LOL

 

[DisneyMann]

Any standards would be better than what many so called parents use today. The mindset of a lot of so called parents today is to do nothing and hope that everyone else watches their kids for them.

I love this and it's right on in MANY cases.