DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... Alligator grabs toddler, drags him into lagoon

As if Orlando needs another tragedy

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/15/us/alligator-attacks-child-disney-florida/

Lake Buena Vista, Florida (CNN)An alligator grabbed a 2-year-old boy and dragged him into a lagoon Tuesday night at a Disney hotel near Orlando as his father desperately tried to save him.

A frantic overnight search to find the boy was unsuccessful, authorities said Wednesday morning, but search efforts will continue with "fresh eyes."
"This is still a search and rescue operation," said Jeff Williamson, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Office. "We are very hopeful. We are hoping for the best."
Hours after the Tuesday night attack, the toddler was still missing despite a frantic overnight search to find him.
The child was "wading just in the water along the lake's edge at the time that the alligator attacked," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said.
Parents rush into water to save son
The family of four -- parents, the boy and his 4-year-old sister -- is on vacation from Nebraska, Demings said. They arrived Sunday.
They watched as the alligator attacked the toddler at the Seven Seas Lagoon.
"The father actually went into the water to wrestle his son from the grips of the alligator," he said. The father suffered minor scratches on his hand, but was unsuccessful in getting his son back.
The mother also went into the water, trying to find her child, he said.
"The sad reality of it is it's been several hours and we're not likely going to recover a live body," Demings said.
He said there is no record of similar incidents in this particular area.
"Everyone here at the Walt Disney Resort is devastated by this tragic accident," said Jacquee Wahler, the vice president of the Walt Disney World Resort .
"Our thoughts are with the family. We are helping the family and doing everything we can to assist law enforcement."
Demings said no reports of nuisance alligators have come in the region recently. The alligator is between 4 and 7 feet long, Demings said, adding he's unsure of its exact size.

man that's a terrible story and circumstance

I just saw this on the news...can you imagine being the father and not being able to do nothing Man I cant even imagine being in that position.

2 yrs old man and I woke up in a great mood this morning.

Terrible.

Too bad it became tragically clear why no swimming signs are posted on that lagoon/lake.

That's horrible.

Wow,, that's awful. So sad for the family.

I can not imagine the pain, sorrow and sense of helplessness they must feel

Tragic

Beyond horror, we are not always the top of the food chain.

this sucks. RIP little kid.

side note: anybody been paying attention to how somebody introduced the nile crocodiles into florida and now they are spreading?

I havent read that but if you have some source I'd be interested in reading it.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/21/us/nile-crocodiles-florida-irpt/

Basically, there's a good chance somebody brought them here.

Thanks I'm going to give it a read..appreciate the link Swish.

Awful.

They aren't native. As stated in the article, it was probably the exptic pet industry that let these things out...or more on point, some idiot or idiots who released them in to the swamps. You have the same problem with massive pythons that are now in the mix.

Florida is a great place, but for swimming, you best keep it to the hotel pool or well regulated ocean or gulf beach. Inland waters like lakes, ponds and rivers aren't a good idea IMO.

Living down here, i've learned everything is trying to kill you, its like the australia of the US.. I jetski on the St. Johns and you can literally count to 100 on the gators in a 5 mile stretch, and the water is usually 4-5ft deep in the places we ride, so if someone dumps their ski, you really have to be cognizant. Especially during mating season

Ugh, talk about hitting close to home.

I saw a gator backstage once at Disney. Big sucker, but we left it alone.

this has been kind of overblown, they've found like 3 in 5 years, thats not saying theres not alot more, but you'd probably hear more about it.

I really cannot fathom how a parent could handle losing a child, much less like THIS. My heard goes out to them.

We were at the Grand Floridian with our daughters while at Disney 2 years ago. I saw an alligator down in that lagoon from the monorail back to the main park.

Orlando =(

Everytime I think of this, I just picture that mom and dad in the water trying to pry away their kid, their little boy, from that beast. Having to watch an animal swim off with your son. I just cant imagine seeing that as a witness, let alone seeing that from the parents view.

Incredibly tragic.

How incredibly sad for the parents and family. My condolences to them all, and I pray that God will comfort them in this time of horrible tragedy.

I cannot imagine what the parents had to go through, seeing their son walking along, and then attacked my an alligator, and gone even quicker than I could type it.

We never know when the end will come for any of us. The only thing certain about life is the uncertainty of when and how it will end.

What a horrible tragedy. Prayers to this family.

I hope they sue the crap out of Disney. There should not be a beach area on a lake with alligators. Beaches just invite people to walk or play in the water. Especially kids.

The stuff of Nightmares.

Multiple signs around the area read of "no swimming".

How can Disney control stealth hunters like alligators?

So dont have an inviting beach. And toddlers cant read. And this happened at night. Signs may not be visible.

If someone can win a law suit over burning themselves with hot coffee...maybe..just maybe..these people will have a case. IDK

There should have been a barrier between the water and the sand. To keep people and alligators out.

If my kid got eaten by an alligator at Disney, you better believe I would sue them for every last dime they have.

Well you can sue for anything...winning on the other hand is a different story...but I hear ya, I wouldnt want to be the lawyer for Disney looking at that jury trying to explain why they shouldnt be responsible.

People that think this is disney's fault are crazy, this is a parenting issue. It was a lagoon, not a beach..thus the no swimming signs

I agree but jury's are a funny thing sometimes...more about the feels then law. Ive witnessed some of my close friends lose cases their high powered attorney thought was a slam dunk.

It was a beach. The kid was walking in the water one foot from shore. He got eaten. here should have been a barrier. If you go to the zoo, how would you like it if there was no barrier between the lions, tigers, and bears and yourself. How safe do you think that would be?

I bet this family is awarded 100 million dollars.

I think it will get settled out of court...then the barrier will go up..or closed off all together.

It's not just Florida. I've seen the movie Lake Placid. That documentary is terrifying!!

According to Fox News, they have found and killed 5 gators so far, to cut them open and look for the victim's body parts - and none of the 5 gators killed were the one. So there were at least 6 gators in this man-made "Lagoon" and they didn't have any warning signs about staying the hell away from the waters edge?

Male Gators will walk 100 miles, checking in at many ponds for Females during the breeding season, which is now.

If you are in the NE and reach into a closet, a Brown Recluse spider can bite you, causing injury or death.

In the SW, a Rattlesnake, Black Widow spider, or a Scorpion may get you.

The South has Gators and Water Moccasins.

Griz in the NW.

What's in the midwest?

Knuckleheads.

Lawyers have no soul. Just "another day, another dollar" ordeal.

So killing gators is ok, killing gorillas is bad...weird place we live in

They found the toddlers body and are about to have a press briefing.