Alligator dragged 2 year old into 7 seas lagoon

[Bianca and Bernard]

The sheriff reported they found the remains, and they were intact.

 

[TLSnell1981]

They found the child, but not the gator.

 

[susabari]

The reality is that this is an extremely rare type of attack and will probably never happen again on Disney property with or without signs of any kind. Gators generally avoid populated areas unless the people have been feeding them. That being said, I have grown up in Florida and would never even step a toe into a body of water that is not the ocean, especially after dusk when gators are feeding. We have gators in water-filled ditches and retention ponds in my gated community - they are everywhere. Florida has nice natural springs with great water quality and they even have gators. Not to place blame, but as a parent I have to say I would not let my child even wade knee-deep in any body of water after dark, in Florida or anywhere. All kinds of accidents can happen.

 

[cabanafrau]

The sheriff reported they found the remains, and they were intact.

I wonder what that means? Maybe I don't have the courage to know.

 

[frndshpcptn]

People have been swimming and participating in water sports on Bay Lake for years (they even do lifeguard training IN the lake). Again, former CM here. I know there are gators in FL. I saw them around from time to time.

Having worked in the area ringing the Yacht / Beach Club I still interpreted those signs on the Disney beaches to be about water quality - especially with all the fuel that is let in daily. For me, gators are typically sighted in the river at MK, golf courses, marshy areas near roadways,etc. Since Disney lets people in the Lake, it would not occur to me that wading in ankle-deep would be so dangerous.

Wading is wading. Swimming is swimming.

Either way - I can't even come up with words to express the horror and sadness I feel for the parents

 

[IndyRnRfan]

A tragedy...and I'm boggled that despite no swimming signs a tot was allowed to wade anywhere near the water, especially at night. Maybe I'm just too far the other way as far as being protective but it is what it is.
I've see. Many gators at Disney, lots of snakes...it's Florida and they are anywhere and everywhere.
Very very sad.

Well, as many people on here have already proven, Disney world is thought of as a fantasy area and bad things can't possibly happen to us. Unfortunately, this tragedy just made many on here and around the world a little smarter.

 

[Dizneefamily+4]

Agreed.

It's all about the illusion.. the psychological "what a pretty beach, nice clean sand, cute buckets & shovels" that implies, to me, a sense of "I'm in a safe environment". That plus the fact they offer movie night right there...mere feet from potential danger. People who work at Disney surely must know that gators primarily hunt at dusk or during the night.

My daughter was sitting on that section of GF beach just this past Sunday evening.

Wouldn't that same logic then apply to any beach? There's nice clean sand and pretty beaches in the tropics - even in South Florida - but there are also sharks in the water, man-o-war, stingrays, etc. Just because it's a Disney beach doesn't mean that there aren't the same risks as any beach. We live in Northern WI. There are a ton of freshwater lakes - both man-made and natural. A lot of them are surrounded by woods. They're beautiful. They're also surrounded by the bears, wolves, foxes, badgers, and other dangerous wildlife in our woods. My dh, dd and ds go fishing on these lakes. They're vigilant. No matter how beautiful and inviting they look, there's always the chance encounter with any kind of wildlife.

 

[mom2rtk]

The body was found in water about 10-15 feet offshore in water around 6 feet deep (off shore from where he was taken in).

They are comparing the remains with the alligators they have captured to see if they can confirm forensically if they have the one that killed the child.

 

[CPanther95]

its insane to me that anyone here thinks that the "No Swimming" sign isn't adequate to warn people to stay out of the water. Yes, swimming a different action than walking, true, but really?? You think that walking in the water is ok because you aren't physically in the act of swimming?? I rarely swim, don't care for it, not good at it, however when I go to a pool or the beach (an ocean beach not Disney "beaches") I walk in the water, often up to my shoulders. My feet are always touching the bottom and I am walking along trying to stay cool. I am not swimming. So by the people here's interpretation that the sign is not adequate enough to warn people, it would be ok for one to walk in the water even up to there armpits, because its "not swimming"?? Thats just ridiculous, if they don't want you swimming gin the water, they don't want anyone there period.

And this isn't to place blame on the family at all...My heart is breaking for this family, I can not even imagine the shear horror of going through this. Just pointing out the idiocy of the comments that the sign doesn't adequately warn people to stay out of the water.

You'll educate yourself immensely if you just do a Google image search for: No wading sign

Many, if not most, places outside of whatever area you live in consider swimming and wading 2 different things. There's also, boating, fishing, etc. any many other activities that are considered separate water activities. What's insane is thinking that "swimming" doesn't mean "swimming". Being accurate isn't having to "make everything idiot-proof". If what you mean to say is to "Stay out of the water" then the obvious signage is one that says "Stay out of the water". The idiots aren't the beachgoers, it's the ones that decided to put an inaccurate sign up.

Just like you don't put up a sign at Yellowstone that says "No Swimming" in the hot springs and then assume people will realize they can't even stick their foot in them. You tell them to stay away from them completely - or to not even leave the designated walkways.

 

[pocomom]

I wonder what that means? Maybe I don't have the courage to know.

Baby drowned by alligator, but not eaten. It is a very good thing. I don't imagine anything feels better at this point- but the only thing I could think of that was worse is never finding the remains .
The baby was probably gone in minutes. That's something for the parents to hold on to.
They have another child. In some ways it is a curse, they have to carry on... I know I wouldn't want to live through this...but they have too. SO VERY SAD.

 

[mom2rtk]

Baby drowned by alligator, but not eaten. It is a very good thing. I don't imagine anything feels better at this point- but the only thing I could think of that was worse is never finding the remains .
The baby was probably gone in minutes. That's something for the parents to hold on to.
They have another child. In some ways it is a curse, they have to carry on... I know I wouldn't want to live through this...but they have too. SO VERY SAD.

It is a good thing. I'm glad they will have a body to bury. But I would be more conflicted as the parent, wondering if I should have gone back in and looked some more.

 

[Just1Princess]

When the news first broke that was the question everywhere.

I think we all sort of hoped it wasn't real. At least I did.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I read that a dive team found the body, and there's no doubt he had been drowned by an alligator. Which would indicate there are teeth marks. The body is being sent to a coroner's office for identification, but since we haven't heard of any other small boys missing near WDW, the official identification is probably more of a formality than anything else.

So very sad.

 

[littlejimmy]

My heart breaks for this family. Going to Disney for a family vacation should never turn out this way. May God walk along side of them, holding them up until they can one day walk again on their own.

Rest in peace little baby.

nice post. nothing else needs to be said. well done

 

[SgtTibbs]

Let's not forget WDW has been open for decades and sees tens of millions of visitors every year. Tragic as this is I don't think it points to gross negligence on Disney's part. Also putting up Alligator Warning signs all around the lagoon could easily temp more visitors near/into the water to "see the gators" I live near the Shenandoah national park and it seems like every year I hear about some tourist getting malled by a bear because they were holding out a hot dog or some such to get a photo with it.

 

[mom2rtk]

When the news first broke that was the question everywhere.

But it didn't take more than a few minutes for most reasonable people to rule that out, or to decide not to put words to those fleeting thoughts.

 

[cepmom]

You'll educate yourself immensely if you just do a Google image search for: No wading sign

Many, if not most, places outside of whatever area you live in consider swimming and wading 2 different things. There's also, boating, fishing, etc. any many other activities that are considered separate water activities. What's insane is thinking that "swimming" doesn't mean "swimming". Being accurate isn't having to "make everything idiot-proof". If what you mean to say is to "Stay out of the water" then the obvious signage is one that says "Stay out of the water". The idiots aren't the beachgoers, it's the ones that decided to put an inaccurate sign up.

Just like you don't put up a sign at Yellowstone that says "No Swimming" in the hot springs and then assume people will realize they can't even stick their foot in them. You tell them to stay away from them completely - or to not even leave the designated walkways.

I'm actually not uneducated but thanks

 

[littlejimmy]

Well, as many people on here have already proven, Disney world is thought of as a fantasy area and bad things can't possibly happen to us. Unfortunately, this tragedy just made many on here and around the world a little smarter.

not putting blame on Disney for this incident, but that fantasy was born and is perpetuated by Disney itself.

 

[CPanther95]

I'm actually not uneducated but thanks

I can only lead you to water ....

 

[cepmom]

I can only lead you to water ....

Good stuff!!