Gator grabs 2 year old at Grand Floridian?

[Rabid Nick]

I'm curious about warning signage in other areas around Florida. Is "No Swimming" standard signage for similar public areas or are they usually more explicit with regards to possible dangers? Is signage regulated in any way?

In parks and such they are pretty explicit. They'll warn of gators and other wildlife and specifically say not to mess with them.

 

[notnothin]

I just don't see the lack of judgement. How are people supposed to know there were gators in the lakes if no one tells them or there are any signs about it. I have let my kids waddled in multiple resorts had I seen a sign with picture of a gator I would have not let them anywhere near the beach.

This is Florida and there are gators everywhere here. I don't see how anyone wouldn't know this. Perhaps I am biased because I have seen them in this lagoon several times but I would expect them to be in any body of fresh water in this area.

 

[sheetz]

This is Florida and there are gators everywhere here. I don't see how anyone wouldn't know this. Perhaps I am biased because I have seen them in this lagoon several times but I would expect them to be in any body of fresh water in this area.

I'm extremely well educated and I didn't know all of the things that Floridians apparently consider "obvious" about gators.

 

[jiminy14]

Info already posted

 

[VictoriaT]

Small lagoon with warning sign about alligators opposite the Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney WorldCREDIT: DERMOT TATLOW

From Telegraph UK site http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...sney-world-in-florida-after-boy-dragged-into/

 

[rteetz]

ABC News is reporting that the boy's body has been found. No other info at this time.

More info in previous posts above.

 

[Keekski]

The Sheriff said the body was found "intact" at the press conference.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

There's something people are not grasping here:

That area is pitch dark at 9:30 at night. There are roughly 3,000 hotel rooms on be lagoon...

That's why they couldn't effectively search at night...

And it's also why "dipping toes" shows a fundamental lack of judgement...

There are all kinds of ways to get hurt in that scenario that doesn't involve reptiles.

 

[jennypenny]

It's possible...

But I can't get over the lack of judgement here. You don't have to be a Florida wildlife expert to stay out of the water at night.

And of course...the fact that expectations are too high because of the label. A 2 year old being bored at an outdoor movie at 9 pm? Gee...just like home, right?

Now I'm placing blame to defend a simple reasonable reality here...and I don't want to.

At worst...this was a no fault mishap. But we can't have no fault anymore, can we? So the wheel spins.

I agree, BUT ... Disney encourages people to come to the beach at night -- people they have to assume wiill have small children with them. They hold movies on the beach, they pipe music to the beach at the Poly for the fireworks (do they still do that? been a while), they run the electrical water pageant by the resorts every night, etc. If records show that there have been even minor incidents before yesterday or that Disney's wildlife management team routinely pulls large alligators out of the lakes where they hold public events on the beaches, then I think Disney is at least partly to blame for holding events in a potentially dangerous area without warning guests.

I wonder if they'll yank the permits for the Wilderness Lodge waterfront cabins now.

 

[HuskieJohn]

The media is a bunch of (*#@(*@!

Just looking thru twitter and CNN has a helicopter high power zoom camera shot of the boat with the boys body slightly visible on the deck of the boat. The search and rescue people cover the body so you then realize what you were looking at.

Now as an accident showing it once I'll give them some leeway for it being live TV but seriously posting that clip on their twitter account!!! ***!

 

[XXRAINMANX]

Not relevant to the warning?!? It's the reason for the warning!! It clearly states why they shouldn't ride. Why not apply the same principle? The ride warning sign doesn't just say "be careful". It is specific so that you can make an informed decision. Same needs to be done with the lagoon signs. I think you agree with me, you just don't realize it.

I don't think anyone believes that any entity can guarantee 100 % safety. No one is saying that. What I am is saying, is that if you are aware of a risk, and that risk can cause serious harm or death, then people should be explicitly made aware of that risk.

No I'm stating a sign won't solve this problem from happening again. Because signs are open to interpretation and understanding. Additionally, I don't believe a company has to state every single potential issue that could arise on their property especially with scenarios that are so miniscule in probability that most of us may never hear of this happening again in our lifetime.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I agree, BUT ... Disney encourages people to come to the beach at night to watch movies--people they have to assume wiill have small children with them. They hold movies on the beach, they pipe music to the beach at the Poly for the fireworks (do they still do that? been a while), they run the electrical water pageant by the resorts every night, etc. If records show that there have been even minor incidents before yesterday or that Disney's wildlife management team routinely pulls large alligators out of the lakes where they hold public events on the beaches, then I think Disney is at least partly to blame for holding events in a potentially dangerous area without warning guests.

I wonder if they'll yank the permits for the Wilderness Lodge waterfront cabins now.

You can bet all waterfront activities ended in a room in Burbank this morning...

The waterfront cabins? Absolutely not...those are to make easily ridiculous cash and squeeze the 150,000 previous DVC owners...

Nothing will stop that. They'll just put up a sign.

 

[Aurora0427]

That's a heatbreaking final twist.

He drown...in a situation he was not old enough to survive.

And the animal was not a ravenous monster like in an 70's disaster movie...

It attacked because a instinct tripped...and another instinct - fear - caused it to leave the boy and retreat to where its internal mechanisms could calm down.

Just awful...now Disney should really investigate elimination human contact with the waterways...it's probably time.

It's heartbreaking to hear that the boy was found yards from where he was taken. So close.

 

[romitaz]

Guys people are upset the signs weren't there! The study showing people don't read them who cares! Disney didn't do their part, they go above and beyond every where else. This is the problem. No one is saying disney could have 100% prevent it. Give people the choice, don't keep them in the dark.

How on Earth do you think that Disney did not do their part? How many gators were removed last year? How about how many were removed last week? They have captured 5 alligators in an are that can support many many more than that. I'm talking dozens, if not hundreds. That tells me, they ARE and have been doing their part for the better part of 40 years.

There is one more aspect to the signage thing that hasn't been brought up. There is a percentage of the population that would see a sign warning of alligators and go looking for them. I know this first hand as I have seen some of my less than sensible friends do just such a thing. In fact, Florida had to pass laws fining people for molesting alligators. So, it is a double edged sword. Do you run the risk of enticing some to go looking for said alligators? (Like say teens who are bored or are trying to one up their friends). Or do you quietly patrol and remove any that may become a risk when you find them?

 

[jennypenny]

You can bet all waterfront activities ended in a room in Burbank this morning...

The waterfront cabins? Absolutely not...those are to make easily ridiculous cash and squeeze the 150,000 previous DVC owners...

Nothing will stop that. They'll just put up a sign.

Orange County can pull those permits and put a stop to it.

 

[umichigan10]

The media is a bunch of (*#@(*@!

Just looking thru twitter and CNN has a helicopter high power zoom camera shot of the boat with the boys body slightly visible on the deck of the boat. The search and rescue people cover the body so you then realize what you were looking at.

Now as an accident showing it once I'll give them some leeway for it being live TV but seriously posting that clip on their twitter account!!! ***!

No common sense or idea of personal privacy at all.

As a communication major there's a reason there's a class called "mass media ethics"

 

[cruisingtwins]

This is Florida and there are gators everywhere here. I don't see how anyone wouldn't know this. Perhaps I am biased because I have seen them in this lagoon several times but I would expect them to be in any body of fresh water in this area.

Well I and apparently a bunch of other people did not know there were gators there. So maybe I'm ignorant or uneducated or whatever but there are no signs CMs see kids waddling and don't say anything they sell beach toys at the gift shops. There should be a clear barrier keeping people away from the water.

 

[kymom99]

Alligators aren't going to pull someone off of a jetski.

people fall off jet skis

 

[DISNEY1975]

It's heartbreaking to hear that the boy was just feet from where he was taken. So close.

What? Where did you hear that?

 

[rteetz]

people fall off jet skis

Disney doesn't have single person jet skis.