Alligator drags child into water at Disney's Grand Floridian hotel

[Deberg_1990]

Wow


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...614-story.html


Deputies were searching late Tuesday night for a toddler who was dragged into the water by an alligator near Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa earlier in the evening, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

The 2-year-old child was dragged into the Seven Seas Lagoon about 9:30 p.m., Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Rose Silva said.

Deputies were searching the waters and put crime-scene tape around area to block it off. Multiple emergency vehicles filled the front drive of the Victorian-style hotel and a helicopter hovered overhead.

The child, whose name was not available, has not been found as of 11 p.m.



Some witnesses said they saw the toddler along the beach near the water, but no eye-witnesses to him being dragged into the water by an alligator were available for comment Tuesday night.

The hotel is an upscale luxury resort owned by Disney. It is one of three hotels on the monorail line, just one stop away from the Magic Kingdom Park.

Hotel guest A.J. Jain and his family were visiting Disney from Georgia and said he and his kids were playing on the beach near the scene of the incident earlier Tuesday.

“I’m just here to say a prayer,” he said. “I can’t imagine what those parents are going through. It’s been one tough week in Orlando.”

It is not clear if the missing child was staying at the hotel.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

As a Missouri kid that's been swimming in lakes my whole life, it's just friggen crazy to me that you simply don't do that in Florida.

Dammit, that's what lakes are made for.

Same way here. But we have some of the best beaches in the whole world. So thats not such a bad consolation prize.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

Being dragged under water by a croc or gator is one of my greatest irrational fears.

It'd be like a drowning death and being eaten alive rolled into one. **** that.

One summer a teen was swimming in some fresh water here, who experienced that whole getting rolled around and around. He kept kicking the critter. Amazingly, he survived.

I absolutely will not swim in fresh water here in Florida. Anyone who does is crazy putting themselves at risk imo.

[Graystoke]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

That's because the environmentalists have given this dangerous predator protected status. Imagine that--an animal that has been around since pre-historic times, needs protected status. The result is here are far too many. Time to allow hunting of gators to thin them out. (including any blue gators)I won't even mention the crocs that have moved into the Tampa Bay area for now.

I could use a nice gator purse with matching shoes and belt.

http://myfwc.com/license/limited-ent...r-hunt-permit/

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by Why Not?

I agree. Terrible. Sounds like the dad did what he could, but personally, I think it would be me or the gator dead, one way or another. Very likely it would be me.

Agreed. One of us would end up dead if he has my child.

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by Graystoke

http://myfwc.com/license/limited-ent...r-hunt-permit/

Legal Status

The American alligator is federally classified as “threatened due to similarity of appearance” to other endangered and threatened crocodilians. This provides federal protection for alligators but allows state-approved management and control programs. Alligators can be legally taken only by individuals with proper licenses or permits. Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas have problem or nuisance alligator control programs that allow permitted hunters to kill or facilitate the removal of nuisance alligators. Other states use state wildlife officials to remove problem animals.

http://icwdm.org/handbook/reptiles/Alligators.asp

https://www.fws.gov/international/an...rocodiles.html

http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/ma...ligator/facts/

It's not enough to control who can kill them and only when a nuisance. It's too late when a child is harmed. Kill more and in large quantities and stop regulating it.

[JD10367]

Originally Posted by scho63

They have had several snatching of people in Northern Austria recently as well. What a horrible way to go!

****, they're in landlocked European countries now?!? Mother****ers are worse than Muslims!!!

[BucEyedPea]

I think that's just a typo. He meant Australia most likely.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

Agreed. One of us would end up dead if he has my child.

In defense of the Dad, once that gator locks on to his kid, no way was an unarmed man going to get that gator to let go.

[Rain Man]

I wonder what the most dangerous animals are in every state. My guess would be that the most dangerous animals are humans or mosquitoes, but what comes after that? Snakes, bees, dogs, cattle? I doubt that it's large wild carnivores.

[Mosbonian]

For all the times I have been to WDW and stayed at the hotels that surround the Seven Seas Lagoon, I have never once had the desire to wade into that water. Heck...I'm not particularly thrilled about taking one of the smaller boats that you can rent to zoom around the Lagoon either....

On one occasion I took the boat that goes from the Grand Floridian to the Magic Kingdom and was chatting with the guy driving the boat.......I joked saying "wouldn't it be just as quick to swim from the Grand Floridian to the Magic Kingdom" and the guy replied....."well only if your name was Tarzan and you could fight alligators". I am sure I looked stunned because he continued....." this is Florida and you treat every body of water as if it has something in it you don't want to encounter".

Like most people I just assumed that Disney controlled the habitats and would never have dangerous aquatic life on the premises, but I was wrong....

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I wonder what the most dangerous animals are in every state. My guess would be that the most dangerous animals are humans or mosquitoes, but what comes after that? Snakes, bees, dogs, cattle? I doubt that it's large wild carnivores.

In Cali, it's Great White sharks followed by grizzly bears.

[Marcellus]

Thats going to be a long shitty trip home.

[alpha_omega]

Originally Posted by Mosbonian

....
Like most people I just assumed that Disney controlled the habitats and would never have dangerous aquatic life on the premises, but I was wrong....

This x eleventy billion!

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by BleedingRed

This just hurts me to no other, I would literally be in the water searching for the ****er still with a knife..... Because I would want to make is slow and painful.

Now there was no signs saying "Alligators" but I read there was "No Swimming" signs.. But, honestly how the **** does this place not have signs for Alligators

lol...signs

[manchambo]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

In defense of the Dad, once that gator locks on to his kid, no way was an unarmed man going to get that gator to let go.

More importantly, the alligator submerged and has not been seen since, despite bunches of a people searching for him with all kinds of equipment. How was he supposed to even find the thing?