Gator Attacks Child at Walt Disney World

[Sharpshooter]

The gorilla story is exactly why I haven't looked to see if this story has been dealt with on the politics board... a bunch of idiots over there were quick to jump on the parents of the boy who fell in the gorilla enclosure, with such golden comments as "the parents should be shot" and "a gorilla is dead because of idiocy, but they'll be sure to sue the zoo". By all accounts, it wasn't negligence on the part of the (one) parent who was with the kid, and dealing with another kid, and she certainly hasn't sued the zoo.

I've got a feeling this situation would have been handled with the same grace on the politics board.

Yeah, there are plenty of callous posters, here and on the politics board. For the most part on the PB, any crap comments are resoundingly taken to task, and for the most part, the posters there are intelligent folks who stamp out stupidity instantly.

Since this isn't a political topic per se, I doubt it's over there. I'm sad to see, based on a few posters here, that it deserves better here as well. However, most posters here have treated the new/thread with genuine responses. There are a few though, in the last couple of pages that deserve a punch in the sack for making light of events. I'd be happy to take first shots at these numbskulls.

 

[Kestrel]

A 2 year old can drown in as little as a couple inches of water. Any wading pool I've seen small kids like that have some kind of flotation device.

Yet again parents fault. The father should have been first in testing the waters and further out than his kid, just to be on the safe side. He would have a better view and opportunity to react if something happened. Never mind the fact they ignored the sign.

The kid wasn't swimming. The father was close enough that he received minor injuries from the gator - close enough that he could have dealt with any normal drowning concerns in a very timely manner.

They were NOT disobeying the signs - someone not familiar enough with Florida and just how prevalent alligators are could very easily have made the same mistake, and assumed that because they weren't far in the water, and were only wading, not swimming, that they were not in violation of the rules, nor in danger.

Think a little further before making a post like that.

 

[Kestrel]

Yeah, there are plenty of callous posters, here and on the politics board. For the most part on the PB, any crap comments are resoundingly taken to task, and for the most part, the posters there are intelligent folks who stamp out stupidity instantly.

Since this isn't a political topic per se, I doubt it's over there. I'm sad to see, based on a few posters here, that it deserves better here as well. However, most posters here have treated the new/thread with genuine responses. There are a few though, in the last couple of pages that deserve a punch in the sack for making light of events. I'd be happy to take first shots at these numbskulls.

True enough... but the first pages of the gorilla thread have left me ignoring the PB for awhile.

I'll hold the numbskulls for you though, deal?

 

[jasonleaffan]

Never mind it was a freak accident, these things happen. What someone accidentally riled up some bee's or hornet's and was stung to death? Is Disney at fault too? Unless of course there were multiple complaints about gators there and Disney did nothing. But then again there was proper signage.

 

[Sharpshooter]

A 2 year old can drown in as little as a couple inches of water. Any wading pool I've seen small kids like that have some kind of flotation device.

Yet again parents fault. The father should have been first in testing the waters and further out than his kid, just to be on the safe side. He would have a better view and opportunity to react if something happened. Never mind the fact they ignored the sign.

How in the blue hell was it the parents fault? You could have had the father test the waters for an hour, before the 2 year old, playing on the beach, and wading in waters, got snatched by the gator.

Are you a parent? Do you have the first inkling what it means to be a parent?

This is a tragic event where the parents, relying on the Disney environment, and the night-time event, had a proper assumption of safety. If your resort is on a beach, and it's intended as a beach-resort destination by a major resort/company, then people, including children, ought to be granted a little amount of assumption of safety from incidents such as this one. It's all Disney's fault. Disney corporation, which makes billions, didn't ensure safety for their guests, adults and children alike.

The kid was on the beach in a sanctioned Disney family event. It's on Disney to ensure that it's a safe place for families. End of story.

 

[Chris Hagen*]

 

[jasonleaffan]

The kid wasn't swimming. The father was close enough that he received minor injuries from the gator - close enough that he could have dealt with any normal drowning concerns in a very timely manner.

They were NOT disobeying the signs - someone not familiar enough with Florida and just how prevalent alligators are could very easily have made the same mistake, and assumed that because they weren't far in the water, and were only wading, not swimming, that they were not in violation of the rules, nor in danger.

Think a little further before making a post like that.

I said wading not swimming. And ignorance of the rules or laws does not mean you're innocent of breaking them.

Oh sorry officer im new to Florida, I was not aware I could not drink and drive. Common sense and the little boy would be alive.

 

[Chris Hagen*]

How in the blue hell was it the parents fault? You could have had the father test the waters for an hour, before the 2 year old, playing on the beach, and wading in waters, got snatched by the gator.

Are you a parent? Do you have the first inkling what it means to be a parent?

This is a tragic event where the parents, relying on the Disney environment, and the night-time event, had a proper assumption of safety. If your resort is on a beach, and it's intended as a beach-resort destination by a major resort/company, then people, including children, ought to be granted a little amount of assumption of safety from incidents such as this one. It's all Disney's fault. Disney corporation, which makes billions, didn't ensure safety for their guests, adults and children alike.

The kid was on the beach in a sanctioned Disney family event. It's on Disney to ensure that it's a safe place for families. End of story.

Just like it would be a hotel's fault if you went to their resort and then drowned in the ocean right?

"How was I SUPPOSED to know the ocean was dangerous?"

 

[Chris Hagen*]

I said wading not swimming. And ignorance of the rules or laws does not mean you're innocent of breaking them.

Oh sorry officer im new to Florida, I was not aware I could not drink and drive. Common sense and the little boy would be alive.

Agreeing with jasonleaffan here. Not sure if I should reevaluate my position on that alone?

Who cares if the kid was "walking," "mucking," "wading," "floating," whatever in the ****ing water. Obviously when a sign says "no swimming" it means "don't go in the water."

I would understand a drunk 21-year old ignoring that sign, because they're drunk and rules don't apply to them, but why would you disregard the sign and let your TWO YEAR OLD play in the water? What is a two-year old doing anywhere near water anyway? I won't even leave my 2-year old nephew alone in 6 inches of water in a bath tub for 4 seconds.

 

[jasonleaffan]

How in the blue hell was it the parents fault? You could have had the father test the waters for an hour, before the 2 year old, playing on the beach, and wading in waters, got snatched by the gator.

Are you a parent? Do you have the first inkling what it means to be a parent?

This is a tragic event where the parents, relying on the Disney environment, and the night-time event, had a proper assumption of safety. If your resort is on a beach, and it's intended as a beach-resort destination by a major resort/company, then people, including children, ought to be granted a little amount of assumption of safety from incidents such as this one. It's all Disney's fault. Disney corporation, which makes billions, didn't ensure safety for their guests, adults and children alike.

The kid was on the beach in a sanctioned Disney family event. It's on Disney to ensure that it's a safe place for families. End of story.

Considering I have 7 and 12 year old sons that are still alive and have not been eaten by a gator, ragdolled by a silverback or dragged away by a dingo, I must be doing something right.

Every time something tragic happens people are looking around at who to blame, instead of looking in the mirror.

 

[Chris Hagen*]

Considering I have 7 and 12 year old sons that are still alive and have not been eaten by a gator, ragdolled by a silverback or dragged away by a dingo, I must be doing something right.

 

[Sharpshooter]

Just like it would be a hotel's fault if you went to their resort and then drowned in the ocean right?

"How was I SUPPOSED to know the ocean was dangerous?"

Pretty much the worse human being on these boards. And that's saying something.

Considering I have 7 and 12 year old sons that are still alive and have not been eaten by a gator, ragdolled by a silverback or dragged away by a dingo, I must be doing something right.

Every time something tragic happens people are looking around at who to blame, instead of looking in the mirror.

I hope karma never strikes you as harshly as your unempathetic idiocy deserves.

If you can't allow yourself to feel for the parents of this young child, then I think it says a lot about you as a parent and a human being. JLF, i've always had respect for you over the years as a poster, but you've proven to me that my respect for you was sorely misplaced.

May your sons grow to be better men than you.

 

[Kelly]

That's awful.

 

[jasonleaffan]

Pretty much the worse human being on these boards. And that's saying something.



I hope karma never strikes you as harshly as your unempathetic idiocy deserves.

If you can't allow yourself to feel for the parents of this young child, then I think it says a lot about you as a parent and a human being. JLF, i've always had respect for you over the years as a poster, but you've proven to me that my respect for you was sorely misplaced.

May your sons grow to be better men than you.

Who said I did not have empathy for them? It's a tragic accident but they still should shoulder some of the blame .

 

[Cody Webster]

Agreeing with jasonleaffan here. Not sure if I should reevaluate my position on that alone?

Who cares if the kid was "walking," "mucking," "wading," "floating," whatever in the ****ing water. Obviously when a sign says "no swimming" it means "don't go in the water."

I would understand a drunk 21-year old ignoring that sign, because they're drunk and rules don't apply to them, but why would you disregard the sign and let your TWO YEAR OLD play in the water? What is a two-year old doing anywhere near water anyway? I won't even leave my 2-year old nephew alone in 6 inches of water in a bath tub for 4 seconds.

No it doesn't. It just means no swimming. The sign doesn't say do not enter the water. Having gone to Disney plenty of times, there are people that go put there feet in that water. Hell you could swim in that water in the 70's 80's and 90's and no one got attacked by an alligator during those years. It was a freak accident.

 

[Chris Hagen*]

It's possible to feel empathy towards someone while still questioning their actions and judgement. Of course it's tragic. Of course the parents are suffering greatly. Of course I would never wish that upon anyone. That doesn't absolve them from their questionable decision making though that lead to the heartbreaking death of their 2-year old son.

 

[Chris Hagen*]

Having gone to Disney plenty of times...

 

[HisIceness]

I'm really surprised Disney didn't take more precautions or had a bit more foresight to cover this likely possibility of gators on the beach at night.

Man, the horror of being eaten alive. That poor innocent little 2 year old.

Agreed. Florida is full of Alligators, who happen to like lakes and swamps. They tend to be more aggressive at night, which is also the time they do a lot of their hunting. Common sense should be that Disney closes off all access to natural bodies of water at night for everyones safety.

Tragic for this family and I hope someday they can find some kind of peace.

 

[Kurtz]

It's possible to feel empathy towards someone while still questioning their actions and judgement. Of course it's tragic. Of course the parents are suffering greatly. Of course I would never wish that upon anyone. That doesn't absolve them from their questionable decision making though that lead to the heartbreaking death of their 2-year old son.

I doubt that's true. If this 2 year old wasn't killed by the gator, you'd never get the chance to make that uproariously hilarious Louis Ck meme that so vividly displays your worth as a human being.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Agreed. Florida is full of Alligators, who happen to like lakes and swamps. They tend to be more aggressive at night, which is also the time they do a lot of their hunting. Common sense should be that Disney closes off all access to natural bodies of water at night for everyones safety.

Tragic for this family and I hope someday they can find some kind of peace.

I'm guessing they felt the signage was enough to accomplish this.

Very unfortunate incident, and again I hope Disney readily accepts the bulk of the responsibility. Even though the parents should have been more mindful of a toddler who was wading in waters marked "no swimming", at night, it truly is on Disney, as owner of the resort, to ensure total safety of the guest.

 

[tarheelhockey]

First of all, "No Swimming" is NOT the same thing as "Alligator infested water, stay far away".

Second, if you're going to build a resort like this:

... and specifically invite families with small children to come stay there...

... and hold nighttime family-oriented events on the beach...

... then yes, you sure as **** are responsible for making sure there aren't wild ****ing man eating animals roaming the god damn water.

The lengths people will go to insist that there is no such thing as negligent liability. Jesus Christ.

 

[yubbers]

Yes

Disney should assume responsibility for nature. Let us completely remove instinct and common sense from the human race.

Terrible tragedy indeed but come on.

You're in Florida

It's dark out

Numerous signs indicating your choice is ill advised

Society is far too sheltered.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Yes

Disney should assume responsibility for nature. Let us completely remove instinct and common sense from the human race.

Terrible tragedy indeed but come on.

You're in Florida

It's dark out

Numerous signs indicating your choice is ill advised

Society is far too sheltered.

I'm not sure where the property line ends on their resort, but I'm guessing it's not the shore. Chances are, Disney owns a chunk of the water there as well, which means they're responsible for everything in it.

Including gators, or the prevention of said gators.

They dropped the ball here.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Disney should assume responsibility for nature.

It's a man-made beach on a man-made pond located at an entertainment resort.

Nature?

 

[yubbers]

So they stocked it with crocs?