Child Drowns at Vistana

[Seahunt]

Between this drowning and the child that died on Mission Space yesterday, it was a terribly sad day in Orlando:

Deputies in Orange County, Fla., are investigating the drowning of a 10-year-old boy who was found floating underneath a raft in a pool filled with people, according to Local 6 News.

Investigators said Cody Devers, 10, was playing with kids in a pool at the Sheraton Vistana Resort located off state Road 535 when he went under the water.

When people noticed the boy floating, they pulled him out of the water and attempted to perform CPR.

Devers was pronounced dead at Sand Lake Hospital before 5 p.m.

He was vacationing in Orlando with his aunt and uncle from Waco, Ky. They were with him in the pool area at the time, according to a sheriff's report.

The boy's death is still under investigation. However, homicide detectives say there is no early indication that any charges will be filed.

The Sheraton Vistana Resort had no lifeguard on duty, but there were signs posted indicating a "swim at your own risk" situation.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

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On the TV news the reporter talked to people that witnessed everything and they were so shaken - especially the other kids that were in the pool at the same time. What a nightmare - I can't imagine what the aunt and uncle are going through. Many prayers to both families, and a reminder to love, love, love your children.....

 

[MiaSRN62]

OMG....this is one of my timeshares ! I just got done reading about the poor child that died on Mission Space. How tragic and sad. Wonder which pool this was ? I've been at the Fountains pool on occasion and not seen a lifeguard.
Do you by any chance have a link to this story Seahunt ?

 

[MiaSRN62]

Thanks.....I just found a link with a small article :
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl-loccfbriefs14061405jun14,0,4958838.story

 

[Laurajean1014]

A good reason why people should spend the extra bucks for a lifeguard.

God Bless that boy.

My prayers to the aunt/uncle and other family members of the boy.

 

[mbb]

and that little boy on Mission Space...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- A 4-year-old boy died after passing out while aboard Walt Disney World's "Mission: Space" attraction -- a ride that has caused previous concerns because of its intensity.

Daudi Bamuwamye passed out Monday afternoon while on the attraction, which simulates a rocket launch and trip to Mars. The Orange County Sheriff's Office said his mother carried him off the ride and employees helped her place him on a bench.


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Paramedics tried to revive him, but he died about 5 p.m. at Celebration Hospital.

The sheriff's office said the boy did meet the minimum 44-inch height requirement for the ride at the Epcot theme park, which simulates twice the normal force of gravity.

A cause of death could not be immediately determined and an autopsy was expected today.

Officials said the boy was from Pennsylvania, but his hometown was not immediately available. He was on the ride with his mother and sister.

The $100 million ride, one of Disney World's most popular, was closed after the death.

In 2003, Disney began placing motion sickness bags in the ride. During an eight-month period in 2003-2004, six people over age 55 were taken to the hospital for chest pain and nausea after riding it, though none of them was found to have any serious injuries.

It was the most hospital visits for a single ride since Florida's major theme parks agreed in 2001 to report such problems to the state. Updated figures were not immediately available.

Signs warn visitors about the intensity of the ride.

"For safety you should be in good health, and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness or other conditions that can be aggravated by this adventure," one sign on view last year said.

Disney officials in a statement after the boy's death that they are "providing support to the family and are doing everything we can to help them during this difficult time."


Copyright © 2005, The Associated Press

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How terribly sad....

 

[dani0622]

I have timeshare there too and have often wondered a place so big with so much money can't afford a lifeguard?

 

[Cass]

Another sad, sad story, notice both little boys died right about the same time 5pm

It is a wake up call, you really can't be too careful or take anything for granted.

 

[robinb]

Yesterday was a very sad day in Orlando .

 

[swincha]

i just can't imagine bringing a child so small and young on mission space even if it was allowed. how sad. i always tell my kids no swimming under rafts. what a shame. even with a life guard it might not have been prevented with such a crowded pool. i pool like this would need many lifeguards. i am super paranoid about pools. my teen guards. i watch my younger children all of the time(not teens) even if they are on swim team you still can drown.

i wonder if the child had an aneurysm or something that died on mission space.

 

[Lorix2]

swincha - I couldn't help think that too about the boy on MS. I wonder if maybe the poor thing was literally scared to death. My DS7 wanted to ride it in April and I felt it would be too intense for him, so he never did.

Also, it's very easy for a child to drown in a pool full of people. My DD8 at the time, was jumped on from a kid jumping of the pool deck and actually stepped on her and stood on her thinking it was pool toy at the bottom of the pool My DD couldn't get up until we noticed what was going on.

Probably the same kind of situation with this 10 y/o boy, someone didn't realize he was under the raft or he simply panicked under there and drowned. My heart bleeds for these families.

 

[aquidneck]

My husband pulled a little boy above the waterline at the Ramada once. You need to watch your children. If you're unable to don't let them go in. I have four children and they are the most precious gift. We've been to the Vistana and enjoy the pools. I'm going back for two weeks this summer. I'll be alone with four children. I've purchased one floaty bathing suit and am going to purchase two more for my twin six year olds. I know my limitation and want them to be safe. My thoughts go out to that family. What a horrible thing to happen.

 

[mulanrouge]

I don't take any chances either. Neither of my 2 kids are good swimmers, and I always have a life vest on them. My DS is 9 and my DD is 5. I would rather be safe than sorry.

 

[swincha]

we just don't go to crowded pools period. if we are at a more crowded area each parent swims with 1 child. I have 2 younger(5 and 8) and 2 teens. one is a guard. all of my kids start swim team at the age of 5 but accidents can happen. we belong to a private pool that is never crowded. i insist on lifevests in any lake because there is not bottom. even with my teens. my kids don't like my rules but i gotta keep them safe. i think it was safer to have our villa pool than go to a timeshare with a crowded pool.

 

[mickilovesmickey]

My 3 kids are young but very good swimmers. Nevertheless, they are never beyond a few feet of me. They know the rules. I lifeguarded as a teenager and have seen what can happen. It always amazes me the number of parents who sunbathe while their children are swimming. We belong to a country club and the number of really little kids (1 & 2) that are playing on the steps by themselves just astounds me. Do parents not realize that kids can just tip over in the water, and at this age their head weighs so much more than their bodies, that they can't get themselves up? It is just so sad to hear of both of these children, when you are supposed to be having the time of your life. My heart goes out to both sets of families.

 

[stemikger]

Very sad. How sad you go on vacation to bring happy memories to your family and something this tragic happens. Life is so fragile.

Prayers for both families that lost two boys. May God give them strength to carry-on.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Has there been any updates regarding the family and if Vistana will hire lifeguards?

 

[grover]

Oh that is terrible news-such a tragedy.
Floating rafts should not be allowed in pools, deaths like this have happened before, it is just to easy for a child to get caught underneath and drown.
It has happened here before-they are no longer allowed in our city pools--this occurred with lifeguards on duty--they are not able to prevent every drowning-so it may not have made a difference in this situation.
So sad.
Grover in Winnipeg

 

[disneymom3]

Oh that is terrible news-such a tragedy.
Floating rafts should not be allowed in pools, deaths like this have happened before, it is just to easy for a child to get caught underneath and drown.
It has happened here before-they are no longer allowed in our city pools--this occurred with lifeguards on duty--they are not able to prevent every drowning-so it may not have made a difference in this situation.
So sad.
Grover in Winnipeg

Huh, I have always wondered why some pools do not allow those floating toys. This danger factor never occurred to me.That is just awful. I always watch my kids like a hawk around water. I am just totally paranoid. Which is odd because I grew up near the beach and mom and dad would often just sit on the towels quite aways from the water and I swear sometimes they weren't even watching.

 

[Julia M]

First, let me say that we stayed at Vistana last summer (exchanged our timeshare) and loved it, and would stay again.

We used two different pools at the resort, and my one complaint both times was unsupervised, poorly behaved kids (maybe ages 8 or 9 to 13 or so). With the one pool with the slide, the kids kept going up the slide, and not allowing other kids on it. They were also rather aggressive. Dh finally went over and made them stop, but it had obviously been going on awhile when we did so.

A lifeguard may or may not have helped in this drowning situation, but they can help keep order in the pools, which couldn't hurt. Since the child who died was older, it seems to indicate something happened out of the ordinary (unlike a 2 year old who just falls into a pool)

Regardless, it's a sad situation

Julia

 

[chibichibirei]

My heart goes out to both of the familes involved in the 2 accidents. I dont have any children but I know how dangerous it can be for them in the water. I really think its kinda odd that they both died at about the same time, but so tragic