From the OS: Gator drags child into Seven Seas Lagoon

[21stamps]

The fact that he was in the water at all very likely attracted the gator. It would have felt the vibrations in the water and been attracted to the area because of them. Yes a gator might come out and get someone on dry land, but it is much more likely to happen to someone splashing in the water. If there is anything wrong with the signs at Disney it is that they don't simply say, "Stay out of the water" because too many people think will it if just say "no swimming" I can still get in it I just can't swim.

This is not at all true about alligators.
That one was headed there. There have been plenty of gator attacks on dry land. Do you think dogs are standing in the water when a gator decides to eat one?

 

[Speedy71]

I just got on the site is this true?

Edit: nevermine.

 

[thomas998]

I'm still not wrapping my head around how anyone could blame the parents, especially since its been revealed the kid wasn't actually far out in the lagoon and the dad was right there with him. How were they supposed to know an alligator would jump out of the water and take their child?

I'm sorry, but do you realize how stupid you sound when you say that? Disney cannot move every alligator off property, its built on a swamp. Even if they did, they most certainty would find a way back.

Aggressive hunter of the alligators could eliminate the problem. How do you think alligators made it onto the endangered species list in the first place? It was because of aggressive hunting. Do you think we are less capable of eliminating gators today than we were 50 years ago?

It isn't something that would happen over night, but it is a very doable thing it only requires the effort and the elimination of the animal rights folks from trying to stop it from happening.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Just to play devil's advocate: if I didn't know about the gators, snakes, amoeba, et cetera, I would assume the "No Swimming" signs were because of boat activity. Perhaps someone should consider rewording those signs.

There's a picture of an alligator on the signs. It's pretty clear that the reason for the policy is gators.

ETA: Even if there were no such thing as an alligator, a toddler should not be in any body of water by himself. Drowning happens even when there's no wild animal involved.

 

[FrankLapidus]

If you do not know that gators are in Florida and choose to travel there you can not blame anyone else. It is not the responsibility of ANY hotel, resort, theme park to do research for you. And as has been made clear by a few of us- we KNOW that there are alligators in fresh water, yet we still allow are children to go near a body of water. Not because we are irresponsible, but because the thought or probability of this actually happening is so extremely RARE.

You might be aware of it, clearly others aren't.

I am not assigning blame to any person or party here, I am saying that there are steps Disney can take to ensure that everyone staying on property is aware of the possible dangers posed by the local habitat and so avoid a tragedy like this happening again.

Whether it is rare or not is irrelevant, it has happened and consequently it is going to raise some concern. What you do as a local is your business, I neither think nor have I suggested that anything you choose to do is irresponsible, but it really would be no hardship for Disney to at least make the information available, to give people who aren't local, who might never have have been to Florida before and so are unaware of the risks they might unknowingly take, everything they would need to ensure their own safety and that of their friends and families.

 

[arko]

1. The kid wasn't out swimming laps. He was standing one foot in. Which like I said previously, if you have been to that beach you would know that it is a zero entry right there. So one foot in is ankle deep.

2. Why are people focusing on "Night"????
Have you even been to the Everglades? Ever been on an airboat tour? Do you think these run at night? No, they are a huge tourist attraction and the run all day long.. Because guess what- an alligator doesn't Only come out at night.

People are focusing on night because that is when gators do most of their hunting, and a foot of water is exactly where they hunt for animals on shore

 

[Magenta Panther]

God what a nightmare. That poor baby.

 

[mf1972]

my heart just sunk waking up this morning & hearing this. for the life of me, I can't imagine what the parents must be feeling right now. my thoughts & prayers go out to them.

 

[Speedy71]

Man that sucks. prayers for the family.

 

[bebert]

Or WDW could be the place where they remember having fun with their lost child and it becomes a focal point for them.

As much as I would like to agree with you, how as a parent do you ever come back to the place where you watched your 2 year old child be eaten by an animal. Truly is a real life nightmare.

 

[thomas998]

This is not at all true about alligators.
That one was headed there. There have been plenty of gator attacks on dry land. Do you think dogs are out wading in the water when a gator decides to eat one?

You didn't read what I wrote, I never said that gators don't attack on dry land. They do. But that is not their preferred hunting grounds. They prefer to be in the water, and they prefer to get their prey when it is in the water. Splashing around in the water isn't going to scare off a hungry alligator it is going to cause the gator to take notice and in this case it had very dire consequences for the toddler.

 

[Incomudro]

Ever been to Florida?

I asked the question because

Again, if the child wanted to splash around in the water, the Grand Floridian has areas specifically and explicitly designed for that purpose. And no, alligators don't just come out at night. They are harder to see at night. Most of us can agree that night is the time when you should exercise extra caution for just about ANY activity, be it walking or driving or whatever.

Yes, but the signs say "no swimming" which to most people would mean - well, no swimming - which most would assume would be due to a lack of lifeguards or because it is prohibited for some other non lethal reason.
Not "Don't even get to close to the waters edge or even get your feet wet, because a predator may grab you."
Disney created an artificial beach here with sand and beach chairs as well a activities - essentially courting you to the waters edge. Surely people will get their feet wet.
Again, most guests have no idea that an alligator may inhabit what appears to them to be closed off environment.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

A lot more than you could imagine. At work, everyday, I tell at least 15 people to stop feeding animals, and see at lease 15 more. This is just in front of my 1 ride.

Irrelevant. Sure, it happens, but it has nothing to do with this. If it did, we'd have stories like this way more often.

 

[AndyS2992]

It has just emerged that a British family were 'attacked' by an alligator on the Poly beach a few weeks ago:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...family-sprinted-lives-attacked-alligator.html

Interesting.

 

[bebert]

There might be Jungle Cruise jokes about alligators or crocs that they could temporarily remove from their script. KS points out the crocs (no reason to make a distinction about species in this context). If there is a joke about don't fall in, you could be a tasty meal or something like that, they might as well not say it.

Oh no, I never thought about this. What about POFQ, the whole pool is decorating with gators.

 

[21stamps]

You might be aware of it, clearly others aren't.

I am not assigning blame to any person or party here, I am saying that there are steps Disney can take to ensure that everyone staying on property is aware of the possible dangers posed by the local habitat and so avoid a tragedy like this happening again.

Whether it is rare or not is irrelevant, it has happened and consequently it is going to raise some concern. What you do as a local is your business, I neither think nor have I suggested that anything you choose to do is irresponsible, but it really would be no hardship for Disney to at least make the information available, to give people who aren't local, who might never have have been to Florida before and so are unaware of the risks they might unknowingly take, everything they would need to ensure their own safety and that of their friends and families.

Yeah, I'll agree to disagree with that. People want everything done for them. You choose to travel, you choose to learn. That's on you.

I promise you, if you got to Key West and stay at a hotel- they won't send you warnings about barracuda.

If you go to Beaches Turks and Caicos, they won't send you warnings about sharks.

Any other resort in Florida? You won't receive literature about gators, snakes, sharks, crocs, or anything else.

If I go to South Africa, my hotel doesn't send me warnings on wildlife.

And so on and so on...

At some point you have to take responsibility for knowing about where you're going.

I don't think that applies to this situation at all- I'm just speaking in response of wanting everything handed to you.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It has just emerged that a British family were 'attacked' by an alligator on the Poly beach a few weeks ago:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...family-sprinted-lives-attacked-alligator.html

Interesting.

Not "interesting." The word you're looking for is "click-bait."

 

[Incomudro]

Okay lets really put as much fact as we can in this...

Per multiple reports:

It was during the beach movie, so the family was all together to share in the movie, so why go to a pool?
Second, the child was young, got disinterested, and wandered by the water
Thirdly the parent were there, and the father was a few feet away watching the child.
The Child had at least one foot in the water, not deep, and was walking the edge.

I am one of the most conservative parents I know, and THAT is not swimming or wading, it walking a water edge. I am not from Florida, I DO know there are gators, and I do know they are around Disney. I would NEVER have thought this might happen. I can tell you neither did Disney...why? Cause there would be NO beaches or movies or activities near the water if they really thought this would happen. Lets add to the fact this is a family from Nebraska, and it probably isn't new for them to have a child walk the edge of a body of water.

So can we PLEASE now stop bashing the parents and Disney for this. It was a horrible event, unexpected by all. I can't see what possible good it does to blame anyone or anything on this horrible accident. Instead, we must learn from this, and figure out the best way to avoid it in the future.

^^Best Post^^

 

[JohnD]

Oh no, I never thought about this. What about POFQ, the whole pool is decorating with gators.

That pool is what it is. Can't change that. Or any images of Al E. Gator from Fantasia that might be anywhere in WDW.

 

[AndyS2992]

Not "interesting." The word you're looking for is "click-bait."

Nothing like cashing in on a tragedy. It is the Daily Mail after all