Gator grabs 2 year old at Grand Floridian?

[lockedoutlogic]

Have heard of gators - yes. Knew they were all over in Florida - yes. Knew or even considered that a 2-year-old would be in danger of being dragged off the beach in front of one of the deluxe hotels - no.

I get you...

But two things had to happen:

1. People mistakenly think the area is controlled - or never consider it is not.
2. A small child was in an uncontrolled body of water at night...which defies all common sense.

And you brought up another thing: "deluxe hotel"

The price you pay doesn't eliminate accidents or entire safety...and people assume subconsciously that it does.

 

[Patricksp]

If they find that Disney purposefully decided against signs depicting alligators as a cautionary measure, because they felt that it would ruin the theme, vibe, magic, whatever, do the people rallying around the "no signs are ever necessary" argument still feel that way?

I mean, why would shades of green (Not a Disney owned property, for those of you touting their signage), use the proper signage, and the Disney property which is right next to it, using the same waterway, not use that signage? How else can you look at that?

400-500 dollars a night at the Grand Floridian and the Poly, it reminds me of Jaws where he wanted to put up signs warning about sharks.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Yes Serious question.
If people feel it safe for 2yr old to play in dark murky waters at night preventative sign or not that it would be safe to assume a trained diver could go in ASAP
I known its not standard, but I would have volunteered to try

You do realize the 2 year old in the lake was a complete mistake, right?

It's not even debatable. Not sound judgment at all.

 

[Delgado]

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?

View attachment 175678

They should never have had a movie on that beach at night for starters. They encourage recreation on those beaches. Don't tell me they did their part. They did a portion of it. And if people want to be idiots and go look for them fine, already they were about to make an informed decision. As far as molesting alligators, that is a different topic. No one is saying be cruel to alligators. They are saying the circumstances that allowed the event could have been prevented; no movie, beach restriction, signage, open line of communication between company and guests, employee intervention, the list goes on. The fact that they pull them out all the time and still do recreation on the beach at night solidifies my case. And disney knows they took a risk and made the wrong choice in doing so. It may have worked in their favor for 45 or whatever years but they ALWAYS knew the potential of what could happen. They set the scene for the disaster to unfold. We aren't talking about people just going to a remote spot, they had an approved purpose for being there. Honestly the signage is irrelevant anymore. No one should be on the beaches after dusk and maybe during the day without improvements.

 

[dlavender]

400-500 dollars a night at the Grand Floridian and the Poly, it reminds me of Jaws where he wanted to put up signs warning about sharks.

I thought the same thing. The central theme of greed cannot be ignored. I brought it up, but it confused some people. They thought my life philosophy was now based on that movie.

You are probably going to get the same response in 3,2,1........

 

[lockedoutlogic]

400-500 dollars a night at the Grand Floridian and the Poly, it reminds me of Jaws where he wanted to put up signs warning about sharks.

It's silly...but the the reason that there are no beware of wildlife signs is likely very similar to the mayors reasoning in Jaws

 

[ELSA711]

You do realize the 2 year old in the lake was a complete mistake, right?

It's not even debatable. Not sound judgment at all.

Of course, but IMO it shouldn't prevent an immediate search and rescue. I know there are standards but I just think with my heart right now.

 

[Capang]

i am confused. i didn't even know they had water skiing and wakeboarding. with the whole amoeba danger, wouldn't that be very dangerous if you fell in? and the alligators? . how do these companies offer these activities if people are not supposed to be in the water? i thought all fresh water swimming was not allowed? very confused here.

Because there is no amoeba danger. Very minimal. It is a single celled organism that is not always present. The odds of catching the brain eating one are slim. They are found in shallow freshwater lakes during the hotter parts of the year but finding one in a lake does not necessarily mean the lake is infested with them. If it was a danger Dismey would have halted freshwater swimming when the amoeba death happened, not 20 years later.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Of course, but IMO it shouldn't prevent an immediate search and rescue. I know there are standards but I just think with my heart right now.

Well...I've said it here several times and I'll say it again...it's really dark and swampy in that area...it's not clear water at all...

Reason enough to never let flesh touch water there.

 

[mshanson3121]

This is so terrible To be fair to the parents, I know that there are gators in Florida, but it has never crossed my mind that they could be in the lagoons on WDW property. But I have never entered a lagoon either, because of the signs saying that you can't swim there.

I really can't see how Disney is at fault though. A toddler shouldn't be a foot deep in a lagoon that has 'no swimming' signs by themselves at night, when there wasn't full visibility. Regardless of gators, anything could have happened.

It wasn't a foot deep. It was ankle deep - aka a couple inches.

 

[ELSA711]

Well...I've said it here several times and I'll say it again...it's really dark and swampy in that area...it's not clear water at all...

Reason enough to never let flesh touch water there.

I agree with that 100% same reason I didn't let my kids near water at CBR but it doesn't mean seach and rescue, trained divers with the proper gear couldn't be dispatched immediately. Just thinking out loud on what I would want to happen.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Or on if the alligator still poses an increase


It wasn't a foot deep. It was ankle deep - aka a couple inches.

Anything beyond "dry" is "too deep"

I just knew the spot in my head...trust me on this. I wouldn't let a non-swimmer anywhere near the poly or grand "beaches" at night...no way

 

[Tigerlily81]

Of course, but IMO it shouldn't prevent an immediate search and rescue. I know there are standards but I just think with my heart right now.

They did begin an immediate search and rescue, I was staying at the Polynesian last night, which is right next door to the Grand Floridian and on the same lake and I witnessed multiple boats and helicopters in the area with bright lights doing the best they could, but as far as diving in, the water is murky and hard to see through in the daytime, there would be almost no visibility in there at night to be able to search.

 

[ELSA711]

They did begin an immediate search and rescue, I was staying at the Polynesian last night, which is right next door to the Grand Floridian and on the same lake and I witnessed multiple boats and helicopters in the area with bright lights doing the best they could, but as far as diving in, the water is murky and hard to see through in the daytime, there would be almost no visibility in there at night to be able to search.

Gotcha! Thanks

 

[sk8jdgca]

According to CNN the family was on the sand except the 2 year old who was in 1 ft of water near the shore. They had an infant in a playpen 20-30 ft from shore. No one else was in the water. One of the representatives from the Sherriffs dept said that the father heard a splash and turned to see his son being attacked. In the same interview they said they were watching the movie but the toddler got bored so they took him to the water.

That being said this was a terrible event and I feel for his family.

 

[XXRAINMANX]

They should never have had a movie on that beach at night for starters. They encourage recreation on those beaches. Don't tell me they did their part. They did a portion of it. And if people want to be idiots and go look for them fine, already they were about to make an informed decision. As far as molesting alligators, that is a different topic. No one is saying be cruel to alligators. They are saying the circumstances that allowed the event could have been prevented; no movie, beach restriction, signage, open line of communication between company and guests, employee intervention, the list goes on. The fact that they pull them out all the time and still do recreation on the beach at night solidifies my case. And disney knows they took a risk and made the wrong choice in doing so. It may have worked in their favor for 45 or whatever years but they ALWAYS knew the potential of what could happen. They set the scene for the disaster to unfold. We aren't talking about people just going to a remote spot, they had an approved purpose for being there. Honestly the signage is irrelevant anymore. No one should be on the beaches after dusk and maybe during the day without improvements.

So then with your argument you aren't ever going to do anything in your life anymore. Including being a on computer or phone or sleeping or eating or breathing. All of these things can be a potential killer given a series of events and all have killed in the past in far greater frequency than this tragedy. Good luck driving on those roads home today as well because you know cities could prevent accidents if they just designed them better so everyone could walk and then no car accidents, but since they didn't they knew the risk enabled you to die.

 

[poison ivy]

It's silly...but the the reason that there are no beware of wildlife signs is likely very similar to the mayors reasoning in Jaws

you mean the reasoning that led to a boy getting killed?
I really can't figure out why they didn't address this. so tragic.

 

[minnie mum]

They did begin an immediate search and rescue, I was staying at the Polynesian last night, which is right next door to the Grand Floridian and on the same lake and I witnessed multiple boats and helicopters in the area with bright lights doing the best they could, but as far as diving in, the water is murky and hard to see through in the daytime, there would be almost no visibility in there at night to be able to search.

Right. And then there are safety standards that even police divers have to abide by. Putting a diver in the water at night has risks at the best of times. Putting a diver in the water at night in known alligator territory, when the diver would have 0% chance of seeing one near him is folly. And frankly, divers, in this situation, would be no use for rescue, on!y for recovery. And for that, daylight is soon enough, as hard as the wait is.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

I know very little about alligators. I wouldn't have let my kids in the water, but is that relevant? Would a gator have come a foot out of the water to drag a small child in?

I think the answer is, yes. And if that is the case, there really shouldn't be entertainment on the beaches, or hammocks, or anything that encourages being near the water, if Disney isn't going to be able to prevent this type of tragedy.

 

[Delgado]

So then with your argument you aren't ever going to do anything in your life anymore. Including being a on computer or phone or sleeping or eating or breathing. All of these things can be a potential killer given a series of events and all have killed in the past in far greater frequency than this tragedy. Good luck driving on those roads home today as well because you know cities could prevent accidents if they just designed them better so everyone could walk and then no car accidents, but since they didn't they knew the risk enabled you to die.

You are comparing apples to oranges. I am not even entertaining that. you are being ridiculous, you do remember a child died last night on the happiest place on earth right?