Attempted Child abduction at local park

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

From the FB post, the mom was with her group of kids on a water slide line, ages were not given, but it was her daughter and her friends, a woman in front of them told a boy in their group that he could go in front of her and the mom there said no cause she didn't want their group separated. The group went and the mom went last. When she came down the teens in her group told her what happened that the woman tried to convince the boy to leave with her and go to another water slide and when he said no she grabbed his arm to try to drag him away. Her daughter pulled him back and the lady ran off I guess. After that the mom tried to go to the first "cast member" she saw and they didn't help so she went somewhere else and so on. It is a confusing series of events with alot of he said she said from different point of views, and me telling it second hand probably doesn't help.

As far as the group being separated during questioning... I can see being angry at this as a parent I would not want my child separated from me to be questioned. I even thought this was illegal without permission from a parent, that a parent had to be present for any questioning.

But I wasn't there so I don't know the truth. It sounds like a scary situation. I've been in that water park where I let my kid go down before me or in the "kid" area where he's gone and played on his own while I waited at the bottom. I probably will never allow this again...

Thanks for that information.

Sounds like the details may still be missing (not from you just the whole bit). Agreed it still sounds confusing between the accounts. I do think asking if a kid wants to go in front of you on a ride isn't suspicious, most would view that as being nice. But the trying to convince the boy to go to another area of the park and taking the child would at least sound off if I heard that without a context of like a PP mentioned about trying to find a parent or something (even as ill-advised as that would be).

 

[jrmasm]

You need to change the title of this thread to “attempted child abduction.”

 

[ShayBells]

You need to change the title of this thread to “attempted child abduction.”

Done

 

[tinkerbellfan6880]

I got lost in the Honey I Shrunk The Kids movie set attraction that is now Disney’s Hollywood Studios park back in 1991. I was supposed to come out the exit my parents were waiting at and I never showed up. I was five years old when it happened. When my mom didn’t see me she informed a Cast Member and the exits for the attraction were immediately blocked so I could be found. Disney was very quick to do all that they could to find me. I guess I somehow got lost and tried to exit through a different exit then the one my parents were waiting at.

 

[brockash]

Was the phone she more than likely had on her broken??

If you read the story, it was at the water park of the park, so like most ppl. don't take their phone in the wave pool or rides ata Disney water park, they didn't have theirs on them.

 

[princesspiglet]

The Derry Township Police have concluded their investigation. https://www.wgal.com/article/police...-luring-at-hershey-park-hersheypark/28324192#

Based on what I've heard as a local, and knowing people that work in the water park....the "lady" that attempted to grab the child was actually a teen herself and "may" have been mentally challenged.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

The Derry Township Police have concluded their investigation. https://www.wgal.com/article/police...-luring-at-hershey-park-hersheypark/28324192#

Based on what I've heard as a local, and knowing people that work in the water park....the "lady" that attempted to grab the child was actually a teen herself and "may" have been mentally challenged.

Thank you for sharing the result of the investigation: NOT an attempted abduction.

I'm beyond skeptical of the majority "attempted abduction" Facebook posts and stories I see. It's just so incredibly rare for a child to be snatched from a VERY public place by a stranger. Why on earth would a child kidnapper choose a crowded waterpark with cameras and staff everywhere?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The Derry Township Police have concluded their investigation. https://www.wgal.com/article/police...-luring-at-hershey-park-hersheypark/28324192#

Based on what I've heard as a local, and knowing people that work in the water park....the "lady" that attempted to grab the child was actually a teen herself and "may" have been mentally challenged.

To the bolded-Well that could explain why asking one minute if the child wanted to go in front of you and then the next you're asking/trying to convince the child to go to another area of the park.

 

[Summer2018]

I’m glad it turned out to be a misunderstanding or whatever rather than a child actually being in danger.

It doesn’t change the fact that the adult in charge was upset or weirded out by what happened. When something strange or scary happens, it would be nice to know that security would respond immediately regardless of it being a real or imagined threat.

 

[kaytieeldr]

.

 

[kaytieeldr]

As far as the group being separated during questioning... I can see being angry at this as a parent I would not want my child separated from me to be questioned. I even thought this was illegal without permission from a parent, that a parent had to be present for any questioning.

not as a witness. As a suspect, absolutely.

I think of it this way... if the Children's Museum I used to work at had a lost child system in place, then I am 100% sure Disney does as well. I am also sure that they practice it over and over and over again and it is second nature. Some days we would have 5-10 lost kids so Disney must have a lot more then that in a day!

I'm positive Hershey Parks has an effective lost child system in place as well. I think the mother was upset because she wasn't getting that response - but nobody was lost or abducted.

 

[mummabear]

For anyone with strong trust in Disney security, look around online for the video of the brawl in Toontown Saturday. I have lost a lot of faith after seeing their response. I won't link it since it's pretty violent.

Wow, I am very surprised by how long it went on for without security arriving.
And that wasnt just a little bit of shoving either!

 

[ShayBells]

I’m glad it turned out to be a misunderstanding or whatever rather than a child actually being in danger.

It doesn’t change the fact that the adult in charge was upset or weirded out by what happened. When something strange or scary happens, it would be nice to know that security would respond immediately regardless of it being a real or imagined threat.

I’m glad it turned out to be a misunderstanding too. And with all the sex trafficking & kidnapping stories you hear I get why everyone is so paranoid and immediately jumps to the wrong conclusion.

I also get the moms frustration. I think security should have responded right away. Even the investigation took what seemed like days (a week I think) to come out and say it was a misunderstanding. And depending on how old that boy is he might still be scared that someone tried to drag him away regardless if it was innocent or not.

 

[goofyintoronto]

For anyone with strong trust in Disney security, look around online for the video of the brawl in Toontown Saturday. I have lost a lot of faith after seeing their response. I won't link it since it's pretty violent.

I was thinking the same thing. After i saw that video i kept thinking that security at DL sucks! Not sure if WDW is any better...but it seems to be. Perhaps because the world is so much bigger than the land, they have to have all of their guards in check? Thats my guess. But they really do seem to be watching everything and everyone at WDW.

 

[Summer2018]

I was thinking the same thing. After i saw that video i kept thinking that security at DL sucks! Not sure if WDW is any better...but it seems to be. Perhaps because the world is so much bigger than the land, they have to have all of their guards in check? Thats my guess. But they really do seem to be watching everything and everyone at WDW.

We were in Toontown in Disneyland in April. We witnessed an immediate security response. A woman tripped and fell on a curb. Seconds later a woman with a walkie-talkie approached her and began to ask her questions. The woman couldn’t stand up. Before I could blink, other CM’s stood in a circle around her. Minutes later paramedics arrived and the circle became larger with more walkie-talkie CM’s and other uniformed CM’s. After she was transported to the hospital, the group dispersed.

It was very impressive to watch as I sat on a bench while my family was on a ride.

 

[goofyintoronto]

We were in Toontown in Disneyland in April. We witnessed an immediate security response. A woman tripped and fell on a curb. Seconds later a woman with a walkie-talkie approached her and began to ask her questions. The woman couldn’t stand up. Before I could blink, other CM’s stood in a circle around her. Minutes later paramedics arrived and the circle became larger with more walkie-talkie CM’s and other uniformed CM’s. After she was transported to the hospital, the group dispersed.

It was very impressive to watch as I sat on a bench while my family was on a ride.

Thats great! Im glad the lady got a quick response. My question is, where the heck were they during that fight that broke out the other day in toon town??

 

[lanejudy]

Thats great! Im glad the lady got a quick response. My question is, where the heck were they during that fight that broke out the other day in toon town??

I suspect there is a difference in which personnel respond to an injury (to create a human wall) vs who will respond to a man acting violent and fighting. Your average college program kid would/could respond from a nearby CS to the first, but not likely to the second. I did read one report that there was 1 security officer on scene within 2 minutes but radioed for back-up, but I don't know if that is true.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Thats great! Im glad the lady got a quick response. My question is, where the heck were they during that fight that broke out the other day in toon town??

I don't know why it took security as long on the incident in Toontown other than perhaps not enough Security were around the area/could get to the area that fast (like the PP mentioned with the possibility of someone calling for backup).

The other person's example is different though. Fights are for security personnel not regular CMs. It's reasonable to get basic first aid training that will likely suffice for the majority of minor theme park incidents at least to be the first point of contact and easy enough for that to be in your job description.

Breaking up fights (verbal or physical) are different especially due to the chance of escalation and I wouldn't want regular CMs to have to take on that responsibility in addition to what they already have.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I suspect there is a difference in which personnel respond to an injury (to create a human wall) vs who will respond to a man acting violent and fighting. Your average college program kid would/could respond from a nearby CS to the first, but not likely to the second. I did read one report that there was 1 security officer on scene within 2 minutes but radioed for back-up, but I don't know if that is true.

I don't know why it took security as long on the incident in Toontown other than perhaps not enough Security were around the area/could get to the area that fast (like the PP mentioned with the possibility of someone calling for backup).

The other person's example is different though. Fights are for security personnel not regular CMs. It's reasonable to get basic first aid training that will likely suffice for the majority of minor theme park incidents at least to be the first point of contact and easy enough for that to be in your job description.

Breaking up fights (verbal or physical) are different especially due to the chance of escalation and I wouldn't want regular CMs to have to take on that responsibility in addition to what they already have.

Ah yes. Good point. Someone being injured or ill is different than a violent fight. A CM from a CS/QS location can easily assist... but when we're talking about a full-on violent fight, that requires different personel and training. Excellent point.

 

[mummabear]

I suspect there is a difference in which personnel respond to an injury (to create a human wall) vs who will respond to a man acting violent and fighting. Your average college program kid would/could respond from a nearby CS to the first, but not likely to the second. I did read one report that there was 1 security officer on scene within 2 minutes but radioed for back-up, but I don't know if that is true.

Absolutely there will be different personnel to deal with it.
But, I would hope violence breaking out would Illicit an emergency response speed. What if that family hadnt been beating each other up but attacking others.