Two Parents Arrested After Child Found Abandoned Outside Disney Ride (2007)

[wdwmomof3]

It just amazes me that people do things like this. I have three children and when we go to Disney World, or anywhere else for that matter, staying together is my #1 rule. We don't split up for anything, not even to go to the bathroom. My husband and I keep our eyes on our children at all times. I let him know if I need to step away to get fastpasses and he watches.

I guess I just can't see how this happened. I can't understand how or why a parent could leave a child unattended. The child could have died from the heat or been kidnapped. To me, this doesn't look like an accident. It looks like the parents didn't want to wake her up. Accident or not, these parents are stupid.

 

[MickeyTigg]

This is what happens when as a society we protect the stupid and don't let the gene pool get thinned out occasionally.

I'm glad the child is okay. With the stupid people that run Childcare Services in Florida, the parents will probably get the child back.

 

[Buford]

This is what happens when as a society we protect the stupid

............yes............

 

[ag2000]

:lookaroun I'm not sure if your being serious or not but I'm going to hope that you don't really have children and don't know and are not making a rude comment.

I really dont know. if not he must have been crying. I wonder if anyone was going to do anything.

 

[righttrack]

Well one more thing for CMs to watch out for, I guess! Glad that the little girl is ok. Completely irresponsible parenting. This incident will save lives, especially since the book is being thrown at these people.

 

[littlemom_3]

What I couldn't believe when I read the article was the fact that the child had been in the stoller for approx. 45 minutes when the CM found. Then it was 50 minutes AFTER that when the parents realized the child was gone. My daughters are older (8 & 10) now, but I could not imagine being without them for almost 2 hours in WDW without recognizing that they were there. I don't go that long without checking on them in my own home. WOW!

 

[SWatsi]

I do not like hearing about these things. Very sad, even if the child is okay. Like someone mentioned before, who could not imagine 'loosing' a child even when they look after a classfull. My sister is in childcare and if she read about this would absolutely freak out. I don't have children or any younger relatives, but still couldn't imagine the family not checking at some point where everyone is.

The little girl, Maddy, who was taken from the hotel room in Portugal is British. It is NOT normal practice in the UK to leave children alone anywhere. My first reaction to this news story was why was she left alone, and everyone I know feels this way too. I would never leave my girls alone in a hotel or anywhere. However, I feel terribly sorry for the parents, they don't need anyone to tell them it was not safe - this has been proved in the worst way possible. I hope she is found and is healthy.

Glad this was cleared up cause I was just about to do the same.

I presume the incident you are referring to is the disappearance (sp) of Madeleine McCann from Portugal .... they are a British family and I dispute your claim that this is the 'norm' that we regularly leave our children alone. This was an isolated, albeit well documented incident as is this case in question.

Yes and over-documented as it is. Haven't been able to switch on the News without hearing about it. Bad parents, bad campaign.

 

[banimall]

I don't know how that kid wasn't throwing a fit stuck outside in a stroller.

 

[Kadee]

OK, I can see the initial confusion, BUT THE FATHER WENT BACK ON THE RIDE WITHOUT FINDING HIS CHILD!!!! And apparently, the mother didn't tell the loading CM (who could have both alerted security, and let her out the back way) but went ahead on the ride. Or, it's possible that she was already riding, and the father rode alone in a later boat (but it doesn't sound that way if they exited together :veryconfu ) But if that's the case, I would hold the father more responsible. But it just sounds like they're trying to make up a reasonable excuse for what they did, rather than just coming clean and telling the truth. "She was asleep, we didn't want to wake her up, but no one wanted to miss the ride to sit out here with her , either. So we just left her sleeping. How stupid of us; what were we thinking?" This is from someone who has had a child fall asleep in the stroller, so just grabbed a Dole Whip and found a shady spot to wait it out while DH brought my older child on the ride.

This is EXACTLY what I was thinking when I first read the article.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

I unfortunately, see actions like this too often. I once arrested a mother for child neglect on 4 different occasions, and thankfully, she lost her children on the final count.

I see the kids every so often, and they are much better without her. Some people do not understand what it means to be blessed.

 

[iheartdisney91]

from the title i thought child found an abbandond disney ride. lol

but seriously people at disney need to think. "oh we forgot to bring her in the ride with us." bull S*** if they were serious they prolly shouldnt of had a child if they are that careless.

 

[kybred72]

This absolutely disgusts me. :fork: How do you just accidentally leave/forget your child?!?!

It infuriates me that people like this get to be parents while there are SO many good people out there that can't have kids! :brick:

 

[MickeyJman06]

I FOUND THE FOLLOWING ON ORLANDOSENTINEL.COM, amazes me it happened, no other guests noticed this poor child? at least the child will recover..
:fork:
Two parents were arrested after authorities found a lifeless child in a hot stroller outside Walt Disney World's Pirates of the Caribbean ride, according to an Orange County sheriff's report released Monday.
The parents, whose names were not released, left their 3-year-old girl in a stroller parked in the sun at the Magic Kingdom while they went on the ride Saturday afternoon at about 4 p.m. Deputies estimate the child was in the sun for between 45 minutes to 1 hour.
The parents said they left the girl accidentally.
The girl recovered after being treated by Reedy Creek Fire Department paramedics.
The parents were arrested on counts of child abuse and booked into Orange County Jail. Their young children were taken into custody by the Department of Children and Families
Check back for more information

did the girl die? (i'm shocked not happy)

 

[banimall]

I think it was newspaper exagerration when they said "lifeless" Probably more like sleeping. I thought the same thing though. One definition of lifeless is "deprived of life, no longer living, dead" not sure why they used that term. Lethargic or un-responsive may have been better.

 

[The Mom]

I think it was newspaper exagerration when they said "lifeless" Probably more like sleeping. I thought the same thing though. One definition of lifeless is "deprived of life, no longer living, dead" not sure why they used that term. Lethargic or un-responsive may have been better.

ITA. Lethargic, unresponsive, stuporous, even semiconscious (or even unconcious) would have been better terms.

 

[Krozar]

I don't know how that kid wasn't throwing a fit stuck outside in a stroller.

Probably asleep. Kids, and adults alike, aren't aware of heat exhaustion setting in. That's why Reedy Creek has to put ice packs behind the guest's head because by the time the guest knows about it, they have already collapsed and hit their head against something. Happens far too often to guests and CMs alike. I have already witnessed it more times than I would like just in June alone and and it's still not even the peak of the heat season.

There are three things to prevent heat exhaustion:
1. Drink a LOT of water. Avoid sodas.
2. Don't overexert yourself. Take breaks.
3. Don't leave your kid sitting for an hour in a stroller out in the sun.

I have seen the early signs a lot in guests, especially the elderly. I don't hesitate anymore to stop them and offer some assistance (i.e. call first aid) and a bit of a warning. At the very least it gets them to take a break.

Just leaving a kid out in a stroller... amazing. Sadly, especially if they are Florida natives, they will get the kid back.

I think it was newspaper exagerration when they said "lifeless" Probably more like sleeping. I thought the same thing though. One definition of lifeless is "deprived of life, no longer living, dead" not sure why they used that term. Lethargic or un-responsive may have been better.

Welcome to headline media. Designed for the stupid masses, annoying to those who know better. But the latter doesn't matter because we will continue to read and make threads based on articles from the same news service--our wonderful Orlando Sentential. *salutes*

 

[michaelcostella]

UNREAL

 

[sleepybear]

But it just sounds like they're trying to make up a reasonable excuse for what they did, rather than just coming clean and telling the truth. "She was asleep, we didn't want to wake her up, but no one wanted to miss the ride to sit out here with her , either. So we just left her sleeping. How stupid of us; what were we thinking?"

I couldn't agree more. Even if they had forgotten the child by accident, they certainly would have remembered once a CM at the ride asked how many people were in their party.

These were stupid people who either 1.) thought their child was safe as is, 2.) thought that someone else (like a CM) would look after her or 3.) just didn't care. In any case, it's a very sad and terrible thing to hear.

 

[Sadiebird]

Guests noticed the kid and they alerted the CMs near the attraction.

They parents said that they were there with their entire family and simply "forgot" their kid.

I used to worry before I had my son that I might accidentally forget him somewhere, like in the car. But once I had him I realized that it's impossible to forget your child. You spend so much time caring for them that it just becomes part of your existence. It would be like forgetting your left foot somewhere.

Their excuse is pathetic.

 

[sleepybear]

I think it was newspaper exagerration when they said "lifeless" Probably more like sleeping. I thought the same thing though. One definition of lifeless is "deprived of life, no longer living, dead" not sure why they used that term. Lethargic or un-responsive may have been better.

They probably used it because it was in the police report. I know it may be hard to believe, but journalists don't use random adjectives in crime stories unless they come from the police themselves.