Dammit! It never stops in Central Florida. Gator takes a toddler in Disney World.

[Baitball Blogger]

Authorities search for boy dragged into water by gator

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Wildlife officials pulled four alligators from a lagoon at Walt Disney World after a 2-year-old boy was dragged into the water by an alligator near the upscale Grand Floridian Resort & Spa as his father frantically tried to rescue his son.

Meanwhile, Disney closed beaches Wednesday at their resorts "in an abundance of caution," divers remained on standby and stunned summer visitors to the Magic Kingdwom waited to hear news of efforts to find the child.

The family of five from Nebraska was on vacation and wading in the Seven Seas Lagoon about 9:20 p.m. Tuesday when the child was taken from an area where "no swimming" were posted by an alligator estimated to be between 4 feet and 7 feet long, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings told a news conference early Wednesday.

The grim news is the latest for a city hammered with tragedy in the past few days. On Sunday, a gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, leaving 49 people dead in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. On Friday night, Christina Grimmie, 22, a contestant on season six of "The Voice," was killed as she signed autographs after a show in Orlando.

http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20160615/5d448416-41f5-4f29-99fe-358d6164373f

[mnhtnbb]

1. What a nightmare.

That is awful. Just horrifyingly awful.

The only possible good I can see from this is maybe people will realize the danger of wading
in an area where there are alligators.

[jberryhill]

4. They might assume they are in a resort area

It's interesting that every story on this, no doubt due to Disney's press relations, emphasize the "No Swimming" signs.

But as far as I can tell, no one was swimming. Most people might think "swimming" means fully entering the water, instead of walking along the edge, and that the signs are there due to the absence of life guards to supervise "swimming".

[patricia92243]

2. I had nightmares about this last night. The horror for those poor parents :(

[jberryhill]

3. It seems the "no swimming" signs need to be more specific

If the signs merely say "no swimming" at an area in which most visitors are from places where alligators are not a common hazard, then the signs do not clearly communicate the nature of the risk to those who are walking in shallow water at the edge.

One might assume that swimming is not allowed due to the absence of life guards, and not fully understand that "swimming" per se is not the problem, but any activity near the water's edge is risky in an environment prone to alligators.

What do these signs look like? Just "No Swimming"? Nobody was swimming.

[Siwsan]

6. They probably though that putting the word ALLIGATOR on that no swimming sign was bad PR

Shame on them. Those signs need to be very specific.

[jberryhill]

9. Damn straight

"Swimming" is not the issue. Being near the water's edge is the issue.

But, hell no, they aren't going to put up a sign that says "ALLIGATORS!" on their man-made lakefront beach.

And, sure, you can say, "Well, duh, Florida, alligators" all day, but Disney markets this place as a fantasy resort to people from around the world who know fuck all about alligators, and even if they did, probably assume they are in a controlled resort area.

If the sign, or information at check-in, was more specific, this toddler wouldn't have been anywhere near water's edge.

[auntpurl]

7. Seriously! Put a gigantic f*ck-off "ALLIGATORS!" with a picture on there!

It's a resort for children FFS!

Normally, I am not averse to criticising parents for stupid behaviour, but this is ridiculous.

"No swimming" is DEFINITELY not good enough!

[kentauros]

20. Something like this?

(One of many such signs at Brazos Bend State Park, Texas)

[auntpurl]

22. Yes! And a picture of an alligator.

Seriously, this is a "NO SUBTLETY NECESSARY" situation.

[kentauros]

23. In the park where I took that photo

you don't really need drawings of alligators. You can see them readily, and usually not far away...

But yeah, Disney needs something like that, and if they need to put a drawing on the sign, then make it like a nature-drawing and not one of their copyrighted characters.

[Arkansas Granny]

5. This is terrible. I doubt there will be a good ending to this.

Why did the parents allow him to wade in an area posted "no swimming"?

[auntpurl]

8. "No swimming" is very different from

"F*CKING ALLIGATORS IN WATER, GET AWAY!".

As I said above, if parents are stupid I have no problem calling them out, but this is a resort for children and Disney's precautions were NOT GOOD ENOUGH, in my opinion!

[jberryhill]

10. Think about this for a moment

A two year old child walking "ankle deep" in water at the edge of a beach built into a resort area, and quite apparently under parental supervision.

Does a "no swimming" sign indicate there might be a problem there? No. That's usually because life guards aren't posted to help swimmers in distress.

The kid was NOT SWIMMING. They were in compliance with the sign and all that the sign might reasonably imply to guests at a resort area who I doubt have uniform knowledge of where that advertised "man made lake" might connect through channels.

This was a beach area they built there on the water, so that everyone could enjoy sand?

[MissB]

11. Well said.

I suspect Disney World is going to be paying quite a bit of money to this family.

[Baitball Blogger]

13. Yes they will.

I am thinking of vacationers from non-gator areas. They would have had no idea of how quick the attacks are, nor would they have had the experience to look for those two wooden-like knobs that stick up above the water that give you some clue that the gator is there.

For that matter, "no swimming" in Central Florida could mean, beware of the amoebas.

[Captain Stern]

12. I'd go as far as to say that it doesn't even matter that the child was in the water at all.

How far from shore does a two-year old have to go to be in ankle deep water? Maybe a foot? I don't think it's reasonable to think that the alligator wouldn't have taken the child even if the child was standing on dry land a foot away.

[DawgHouse]

16. Splashing around in the dark, a gator might think it's a bird or turtle.

Gators are very quiet. I've met one in the wild very suddenly and it scared me. He splashed quickly back into the water, I ran the other way.

[Captain Stern]

17. Good point. I didn't realize it was dark. nt

[DawgHouse]

14. This happens at the beach too when they issue warnings.

IMO, if it says "no swimming" you shouldn't be wading either. But I can see how a little two year old would be excited to splash around next to the shore. Poor little boy.

[jberryhill]

15. This is a resort which intensively advertises internationally

I'd like to see these signs.

The one posted elsewhere says "Sharp drop off. Deep Water. No Swimming" and no hieroglyphics that international travelers would understand.

[DawgHouse]

18. Yes I know it's a resort. My point was only that

a sign that says "no swimming" doesn't keep people from thinking it's fine to wade. Wading isn't swimming.

They should definitely make sure the signs are clear and that everyone can understand them.

[HereSince1628]

19. "no swimming" not DANGER ALLIGATORS!

I'm not sure how a Nebraskan processes no swimming as risk of being eaten by alligators.

We live in a world where all McD number 2's are the same meal. Many people think of all places to have the same risks. Canadians that walk out into the hot pools of Yellowstone, Nebraskans who wade and picnic along alligator habitat.

[cagefreesoylentgreen]

21. Hurt feelings

Probably the reason why it said "No Swimming" instead of "Danger: Alligators" is that someone, somewhere, decided the latter was too upsetting to guests and would prevent them from enjoying the facilities. I hope that someone regrets that decision.

[HereSince1628]

25. years ago I attended a Biology convention at Gainesville there were signs

along all the low grassy areas: Keep of the grass, Alligators!

[Aerows]

24. I went to work one day when I lived in Clearwater

and right at the front door there was a 5-foot alligator.

I stayed in my damn car. I don't need to get to work that badly.