Child pulled into water by alligator near Grand Floridian

[ryansstitch]

First, my heart is breaking and I can't comprehend this happened. Prayers for the family and anyone who was there during this horrific event.

Now, to those posters saying they would have helped and why didn't the parents fight more, I wasn't there, but I am betting this happened in a matter of seconds. Think about it. You hear a splash and some yelling, you turn your head to see where it's happening, you maybe run towards the area. 20 seconds maybe, and this child was gone.

I'm not sure if you're referring to my post or not, as I have only seen one post indicating the parents should have done more. But I absolutely stated I would help if I had seen. I wasn't there to know what anyone there could or couldn't see, but I simply stating just because an alligator is dangerous doesn't mean no one would help.

 

[Purplestorm]

We waded in the Boardwalk/beach club lake. Knee deep.

No swimming means no immersion. Stay out of water means no wading.

.

The lounge chairs and sand entry make it so inviting!!! I think some of their vacation here pics showed kids making sand castles near the waters edge.... in the Midwest, water is always safe.... when we are in Florida, canals and random ponds are unsafe but that seemed VERY inviting!!!! At CSR, or elsewhere, I made sure kids didn't fall in.... but at GF, the sand entry with shallow bottom seem DESIGNED for wading. So, so sad!

 

[pezaddict231]

The whole thing is so awful and tragic. I do think Disney needs better signs to make people aware of the dangers of the water. I never touch that water because I know about the amoeba, gators and snakes, but unless you're on the Dis, you don't really hear about that sort of thing. When we had our wedding, many of our guests had no idea you shouldn't go in the water off the "beach".

For this poor family, it maybe wasn't the best judgment to be in the water at night, but it could have happened along the edge of the water too. Alligators can pop up out of the water to drag prey into it. They also can be extremely fast, I'm sure the father tried to do everything he could but how effective could he be against a 7-8ft Alligator that can swim? The gator probably disappeared as quickly as it appeared, they probably felt so helpess.

It's easy to say it couldn't have been you because you know better, but who hasn't made a decision that wasn't the best and everything turned out fine anyway? Who has never gone over the speed limit, you don't say if someone was in a horrific car accident, well they were going 10 mph over the speedlimit what did they expect? My heart breaks for this famly, they were probably looking forward to this trip for a long time and what happened was truly unimaginable.

 

[RedSox68]

If you read the updated article I posted just a few minutes ago, it appears both the father and mother tried to save their child.

 

[caracarn]

I'm a Florida native, but I live in Nebraska, so this is doubly tragic for me.

These parents just didn't know what they didn't know. People up here see lakes and rivers as places to play.

I look at them and see death. I grew up in both South and Northern Florida. If it's a body of fresh water, deeper than your ankles, and you can't see the bottom of the entire thing, you have to assume there is a gator in it. If not a gator, a snake, or some nasty microbe. If it's salt water, there's a shark. You swim in pools or clear COLD springs, and you check those before you get in. Gators & sharks are dangerous 24/7, but they tend to feed at night.

When my DD was 11, we took a road trip to FL, and one evening we visited people with a lake house. She waded in the water a little, but as dusk came, I made her get out of the water and move away from the shoreline. Because I knew what was out there. When we moved over to a friend's condo at the beach, I made her get out of the water before dark because I know the sharks come in closer to the beach to feed at night.

As a kid, however, I had watched fly fishing shows, and used to wade into the Miami River canal at the boat ramp to my knees and fish with nasty stinking bologna. Not far from where the big kids kept putting up a rope swing - that the cops cut down regularly and lectured on the danger of gators. Sometimes, you know, but you don't really understand.

This is just the worst kind of tragedy. These people just didn't know the dangers.

And to make it worse - they witnessed it. Probably from the stories I've heard so far, a 6-8ft gator slipped in close to shore attracted by the baby splashing. A two year old is too big for a gator that size to swallow whole like its normal prey of birds, turtles, or small mammals, so it would do what gators always do - it grabbed that boy by the arm or leg and started dragging him back into the water. Kid had a moment to scream or made a splash as he was pulled down - Dad tried to grab him and pull him back, but you simply can not fight a gator in the water and win very often. Gator took that baby, drowned him, and has put him in a cut under a bank or under a snag someplace in the lake where it keeps its cache. That's why they are having trouble finding his body. They are having to look in every nook and cranny and sonar the whole lake - and it might have taken him over to the Bay Lake side or down a creek. It will be a day or two before the gators decide he's ripe enough to eat. They might find him then, but given that sweet baby isn't very big, there's a chance he will never be found or not found for years. And I know that's beyond horrifying, but that's what happens. And there are over a million gators in Florida, so you can't hunt them all or keep them out of the lagoon.

You just need to know - fresh water in FL = gators, snakes and amoebas. It's even more dangerous at dark. And little kids are no different from dogs or other small mammals in the eyes of a predator. I'm sure every one of you has seen a video of a large cat stalking a baby from behind the glass at a zoo.

God Bless those people. They came to the happiest place on earth with their kids to have a vacation - and they are leaving with their worst nightmare and possibly not even a baby to bury. Pray for them. I am.

Very well stated reply. This was very much along the lines of what I had been sharing with people. My parents live in FL and they have a pond right outside their home about 5 feet from their swimming pool and every few years someone has to come and remove a gator because it got too big. When we visit we are told the most recent gator story, or they point out at the pond and say "look the gator is swimming", but with these people being from Nebraska they do not know about gators. I would not know a lot about them but I do understand that 9 PM around dusk and something is splashing at the edge of the water a gator assumes it is an animal coming to get a drink before bedding down for the night and so it checks it out. But I watch a lot of Animal Planet and I watched Steve Irwin and his crocodile hunter shows so I probably know more than the average person.

I think it is very short sighted for people to be casting blame or expecting control of all wildlife in an immense property. I've been on those beaches in my visits to WDW and had my children and I do not truly recall if at some point one of them might not have placed a toe in the water. We were very clear that swimming happened in the hotel pool, but I agree with many of the posters who said no swimming does not mean do not touch the water. Certainly a signage change will most likely occur, I just hope the over reactors do not get their way and cause way too much to happen. My heart hurts for this family. I can not even imagine what they are going through having a family vacation turn into the death of their child in such a horrific way. As I said initially this post was spot on to what I was thinking, they just did not know. That does not make them at fault. It is a terrible accident.

 

[gmboy95]

I have read the whole thread. My thoughts:

This is a tragedy caused by an unfortunate Accident. My prayers are with this family.

Neither the family nor Disney are to blame. It was an Accident

with all due respect, you have zero idea if either of these things are true

 

[MonaMN]

You're joking right? Because I would hate to thi k you are that brainwashed by the "pc police".

It's not about being "pc" - it is about understanding that this is their natural habitat.

 

[gmboy95]

This was an accident because Disney took a soft approach on warning the public on the risks involved. Had they used a sign like the one above, this never happens.

"No Swimming" could mean dozens of things like no lifeguard available, we don't want you disturbing a habitat, water isn't fresh. If there is a massive danger like a man-killing gator that's the real issue, then tell people. A 2 year old leaves a playground, walks 10 yards to dip his toes, parents aren't worried, why? Because the signage didn't warn people of the danger.

Again i will say...you have absolutely no idea if that is true of not and it is a massive assumption

 

[obx_mama]

I'm not sure if you're referring to my post or not, as I have only seen one post indicating the parents should have done more. But I absolutely stated I would help if I had seen. I wasn't there to know what anyone there could or couldn't see, but I simply stating just because an alligator is dangerous doesn't mean no one would help.

No, I wasn't specifically referring to you. Several folks on this thread and another in the Theme Parks thread have stated that they would have done something more to help this baby. I was trying to point out that it was likely over before most people could even process enough to attempt to help. Just so very sad.

 

[gmboy95]

Disney didn't even enforce its own no swimming sign as an anti-wading rule and yet so many of you are determined to criticize the parents for interpreting the sign in the same way as Disney. Disney tolerated people playing in the water at the edge for years.

how about this....i will not interpret anything...i will assume i dont, wont, and could not no all the facts....so I am going to not pass judgement. So unless i am going to sit on a civil jury to determine negligence, i am going to take this as a painful, awful lesson about nature in Florida....lets try that on for size and see how it fits

 

[kniquy]

Such a horrific way to lose a child- It is never easy but to have your child ripped away from you and you are left not being able to do anything to save them is heartbreaking. I feel for that family and their other children. It sounds like Disney and the available wild life and police are doing everything to help find the poor child. All we can do is keep that family in our prayers and thoughts and for future trips be more aware of our surroundings.

 

[Hopefully]

with all due respect, you have zero idea if either of these things are true

What are you insinuating? I heard the noon update by the Sherriff's department. No foul play is suspected.

 

[barney4liz]

But there are a lot of restrictions, right? If not Florida needs more hunters.

We seem to have plenty of hunters, thanks. There are much bigger threats to public safety in this state than the alligator population. As with most wildlife, human development still poses a greater risk to them. Most incidents of nuisance alligators are caused by fools who decide to feed gators who happen to live near populated areas. Then the gators, of course, start to expect food, pets disappear, and the nuisance gators are removed/disposed.

I frankly have never noticed whether there were gator warning signs at WDW -- because I don't have little ones to worry about and I live here so I know what lives in the water. Given the rarity of these events and the great efforts Disney seems to take to control the population and remove larger/nuisance animals I can understand why they decided not to post gator warning signs.

The large wildlife preserve near my home has explicit signs stating "AT DUSK, IF IT MOVES IT'S FOOD" with silhouettes of a large gator, a raccoon, a bunny, and a child. Graphic, but seems to get the point across.

My heart breaks for this family.

 

[Cira]

Where is this child's body? A five foot gator can't swallow a whole kid and not die. Why haven't they found this gorged gator. They don't eat a whole person and swim back to the everglades.

I don't mean to be graphic, but to paraphrase what Ron Magill (from ZooMiami) said on ABC News this morning, the gator will flip you over to rip off a piece of meat. He was giving advice on what to do in such a panic moment, you try to strike the gator in the eyes and/or snout, so he'll let go of whatever he has in his mouth. However, like Mr. Magill said, in a moment like that, it probably happens so fast, so unexpectedly, the last thing you are thinking of is, "gee, let me poke this gator in the eye or snout". Also, Magill was saying that this is around the time that gators nest and if the baby gators are around, they will come out and attack immediately. There was a male gator that was recently standing at someone's front door, looking for a female, this all according to Magill.

 

[Hundredacre]

This is evidence that the alligator population is out of control. Of course Disney could do something about the alligators. Part of the problem is disney is pandering to the "environmentalist" crowd who will give Disney bad press and label them alligator killers. Disney needs to man up against these groups and put human safety first. I am glad to see that the orlando police are killing the ones they find in their search. At least they haven't been cowered yet.

 

[sotoalf]

This is evidence that the alligator population is out of control. Of course Disney could do something about the alligators. Part of the problem is disney is pandering to the "environmentalist" crowd who will give Disney bad press and label them alligator killers. Disney needs to man up against these groups and put human safety first. I am glad to see that the orlando police are killing the ones they find in their search. At least they haven't been cowered yet.

How noble of you.

 

[gmboy95]

Disney is no more responsible for this one-time gator attack than it would be from someone dying from a lightning strike. It's Florida. Yes, Disney constantly looks, finds and relocates gators larger than 3 feet, but everyone knows there are gators in Florida, just like everyone knows there are bears, mountain lions and wolves in Yellowstone. Disney takes precautions to protect guests from lightning strikes, with lightning rods all over the properties, but it is still possible. They also take precautions to remove gators over 3 feet long, but it's still possible. My guess is Disney will pay a price, because they don't have signs warning about gators and you'll see some signs go up in the future. In the meantime, I'll be praying for this fam

I live in Detroit and understand there are alligators in Florida. The no swimming sign means more than worries about drowning. It refers to the brain eating parasites found in the water.[/

What are you insinuating? I heard the noon update by the Sherriff's department. No foul play is suspected.

As is with most situations that occur at a place like disney....when it comes to negligence and the details of the actual event....the truth ALWAYS lies somewhere in the middle....trying to reach conclusions based on press conferences and media reports is an exercise in judgement passintg

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

with all due respect, you have zero idea if either of these things are true

OMG! What are you suggesting? This is getting outrageous.

 

[Cira]

So everyone that now thinks no one should be let on the beach, all parties cancelled, etc.....The fact that what happened is so rare that it's hard to comprehend it actually happened means nothing to you? Now you want everything banned?

Should Disney put up better signage? Sure, because I am now learning people need to be warned about every possibility of injury out there.

Again, I don't place blame on anyone, it was such rare, freak tragedy. But it won't hurt Disney to put up gator warning signs. But then that's it. No need to cancel beach activities at this point.

Short of any signs, maybe erecting an ornate fence; something the gators can't push through. You drive up and down I-75 (alligator alley), there are areas of the fences that APPEAR like something (or someone), pushed through.

 

[Cira]

And that is your choice and your right to do that. I just would hate that choice to be taken away from people who still want to sit on the beach, etc.

Anyways, I just don't know how those parents will go on. I don't even have kids, I look at my chubby 1 year old cat and think how I'd feel if I saw him being dragged away....those parents, I feel just sick for them. How do you go on???

I am a huge dog/animal lover, it is UNTHINKABLE that my dog would be dragged off by an alligator, now, (not even comparing this to a child, btw), this must just be horrific, horrific. This family having gone through that, having to get home somehow and get on with their lives for the sake of other other two kids, and not even be able to go back with the remains of their child?? I can't, I just can't even IMAGINE it. These folks are LIVING it.