2 year old boy snatched by alligator at Disney World

[GreenLantern2814]

Is there any news you don't break?

[killer_carlson]

the photos seem to indicate it happened right at at the resort.

This would be the equivalent of a bear attack at a picnic table outside Callaway park.

[Ruttiger]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

Man, that's horrifying, like something out of a horror movie.

Came back to say exactly this. As a parent I don't know how you go on after witnessing this happen to your child.

[Lubicon]

A terrible week for Orlando.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

What a horrific week for Orlando, geez.

That poor child

As awful as that is for the child, it was likely quick. Not so for the family ;(

[skudr248]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

the photos seem to indicate it happened right at at the resort.

This would be the equivalent of a bear attack at a picnic table outside Callaway park.

Na, gators are super common everywhere in Florida, I remember a few years ago the pool keeper was freaking out when a friend and I entered the hot tub after it was closed because he found a 8 foot gator in there the night before. Every pond, lake, river etc. they're there.

[cracher]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Not sure why the boy was in the water when there is signage saying no swimming and warning of gators. Walking along water there is dangerous even for an adult. My grandparents knew a lady who got grabbed by one in the 80s. People in their development would lose dogs to them and it was especially dangerous at night.

Nail on the head.

I'm mostly sure I've been to that exact resort a couple years ago. The article shows one sign. I can confirm that there is abundant warning signage as well as a verbal warning upon check in. In fact, I have a picture of myself being a jackass; thigh-deep in the water with the warning sign in the foreground. I certainly have empathy for what the parents are going through but an amount of guilt is also appropriate.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Not sure why the boy was in the water when there is signage saying no swimming and warning of gators. Walking along water there is dangerous even for an adult. My grandparents knew a lady who got grabbed by one in the 80s. People in their development would lose dogs to them and it was especially dangerous at night.

Unless I read it wrong, or there is other information, the boy was not in the water

The child was on the edge of the lagoon when the alligator dragged him into the water

Not saying edge of lagoon was a good place to be, but not quite the same as in the water.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Not sure why the boy was in the water when there is signage saying no swimming and warning of gators. Walking along water there is dangerous even for an adult. My grandparents knew a lady who got grabbed by one in the 80s. People in their development would lose dogs to them and it was especially dangerous at night.

He wasn't in the water. He was near the water and dragged in.

Others have mentioned it, but in Florida Alligators are all over. The place is essentially one big drained swamp. The alligators will invade every pool, storm drainage, etc..those alligator warning signs are all over. I don't fault the parents for the fact that there actually happened to be an alligator near this particular sign.

In Canada, we're quite sheltered from the dangers of nature. As you get closer to the equator, things like Alligators, snakes, poisonous spiders, scorpions, etc...become more of a day to day threat and will strike pretty randomly. As the population of Florida continues to expand, we'll see more and more of these types of attacks. The population has doubled since 1980.

[sureLoss]

My understanding is this was on the resorts' beach on the lake.

Saw one report say there was even a lifeguard on duty

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

This would be the equivalent of a bear attack at a picnic table outside Callaway park.

Closer to the equivalent of a bear attack at a picnic table of a known grizzly habitat like Lake Louise.

And even that's a bit of a stretch.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by blankall

He wasn't in the water. He was near the water and dragged in.

Others have mentioned it, but in Florida Alligators are all over. The place is essentially one big drained swamp. The alligators will invade every pool, storm drainage, etc..those alligator warning signs are all over. I don't fault the parents for the fact that there actually happened to be an alligator near this particular sign.

Authorities say the child was wading near the edge of the lake

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

As awful as that is for the child, it was likely quick. Not so for the family ;(

You would hope so, but likely the Alligator dragged him out to drown him, since the child was probably too big to eat in a single bite.
.

[Ashasx]

So this is the lakefront where it happened

Spoiler!

Beach and everything... it seems hard to blame the parents on this one.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

the photos seem to indicate it happened right at at the resort.

This would be the equivalent of a bear attack at a picnic table outside Callaway park.

I'm envisioning a frantic bear driving a subcompact car while nervously looking at his wristwatch as his cell phone rings. Radar Love by Golden Earring drones in the background. He takes the Callaway park exit a little fast. (Quick montage of the bear getting a speeding ticket in the Callaway Park parking lot) The bear gets out of his car and runs for the entrance. People scatter. The bear shows a laminated pass to the gate as he is waved through. (The scene cuts to a family finishing their meal at a picnic table.) The family gets up and deposits their garbage in the trash bin before stepping out of frame. A tired and exasperated bear stumbles into frame to find no family at the picnic table. Looking around, the bear locks eyes with another bear hiding in the trees disappointedly shaking his head. (A montage where the bear is in front of his boss being fired leading to a messy decline into alcoholism and trouble with the law resulting in prison rolls)

That is equally probable to occur as a bear attack at a picnic table at Callaway Park.

[Dion]

According to the blog Hidden Mickeys, one guest was waterskiing on the Seven Seas Lagoon several years ago when he dove in to cool off.

When he asked the boat driver if there were any gators in the water, he replied 'Yep, we pulled an eight footer out last week!'

The guest was assured that they are generally timid and scared of boats and metal screening is installed before the shorelines to prevent any of them from getting into the swimming areas of the resorts.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...an-resort.html

[flamesfan1297]

Wow, just seen this. That's absolutely horrible, I feel awful for those parents. They'll never forget this.

[CliffFletcher]

Sigh. Can we talk about a tragic accident without laying blame? Just once?

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Sigh. Can we talk about a tragic accident without laying blame? Just once?

If you can find a true accident that doesn't have a component or blame or negligence, sure.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

So this is the lakefront where it happened



Beach and everything... it seems hard to blame the parents on this one.

The hotel rooms look very close to the edge of the water to start with. Anyone who's ever been around a 2 year old knows how drawn they are to any kind of water.

There have now been 5 deadly alligator attacks through 2015-2016:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._United_States

There were only 3 in the 1990s. More an issue of a the population doubling and pushing alligators into populated areas than parental supervision.