Gator Eats Two-Year Old @Disney's Grand Floridian

A 2-year-old boy who was attacked and dragged into the water by an alligator on the shores of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Tuesday night was still missing early Wednesday morning.

Jeff Williamson with Florida Fish & Wildlife said the child had not been located. Deputies are in the water and air, calling it a search and rescue operation.

"Right now we're going to bring in some fresh eyes and continue with the search," Williamson said. "Prepare for the worst, hope for the best."

Teams searching for the toddler found four gators, but no sign of the child.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-child-dragged-alligator-disney-20160614-story.html

Horrible.

We should declare war on reptiles.

Boots on the ground.

Carpet bomb the Everglades.

Armed guards posted at all ponds.

So sad.

I have a six footer on my property which worries me concerning the dog.  My neighbor cuts the lawn when I am not around and found it in one of my ponds.  The slide marks indicated to me that it was bigger, so there may be more than one.  I was supposed to be in Florida in June to work on the project, but unfortunately health has not allowed me to travel and address the alligator.  I get that they are in their natural habitat and people need to leave them alone, but I am not having a dog or child attacked. Losing a child while on vacation at Disney is just a horror beyond comprehension.

2seaoat wrote:I have a six footer on my property which worries me concerning the dog.  My neighbor cuts the lawn when I am not around and found it in one of my ponds.  The slide marks indicated to me that it was bigger, so there may be more than one.  I was supposed to be in Florida in June to work on the project, but unfortunately health has not allowed me to travel and address the alligator.  I get that they are in their natural habitat and people need to leave them alone, but I am not having a dog or child attacked.  Losing a child while on vacation at Disney is just a horror beyond comprehension.

Come on 2seaoat, this isn't about you.

The child has been found, intact. This is common for an alligator to kill its prey and then lodge it somewhere under water for it to partially decompose making it easier to consume.

May God comfort this young couple in this time of tragedy. The tragedy will play a depressing part of the rest of their lives. Most tragedies like this lead to divorce as each spouse cannot help but blame the other.

Markle wrote:Most tragedies like this lead to divorce as each spouse cannot help but blame the other.

I know you're statistically correct here, but perhaps in this case the saving grace will be that there are two other children who need their parents. We can only hope.

RealLindaL wrote:

Markle wrote:Most tragedies like this lead to divorce as each spouse cannot help but blame the other.

I know you're statistically correct here, but perhaps in this case the saving grace will be that there are two other children who need their parents.  We can only hope.  

I pray you are right.

Disney will get killed under the attractive nusiance theory of putting a beach on a fresh water pond where they had knowledge of gators and not putting proper signage. This will be settled out of court and the family will be paid in excess of five million......it is my understanding the other child was present, the mom, and the dad who all witnessed this horror. The damages if it goes to a jury would be off the charts.......Disney will as quickly as possible once the grieving period has been completed will make a large offer........no amount of money can bring this family whole again.....no amount, but hopefully nobody else will get hurt and Disney will be making immediate changes.

My daughter has been to this particular resort a couple of times. It's a peaceful spot (according to her). But this was 9 pm...the people were (I've been told) from Nebraska...and maybe they just didn't know about the danger of allowing their toddler into the water, especially after dark.

We always stayed at a motel off Disneyworld property when visiting three times when our children were small. They had a small lake and they to had a beach area with a pier and a no swimming sign. We NEVER let our kids wade or swim because we were fully aware of the danger, but beyond the risk of gators is the risk of venomous snakes in a fresh water Florida lake or pond. No swimming is not enough.......no entry into the lake, wadding or swimming will be allowed. I mean my son in law almost killed three of my grandchildren allowing a 7 year old first grader to drive a golf cart where on the steering wheel it clearly said no person without a driver's license may operate this vehicle. I could have instead of celebrating 40 years of marriage been mourning the death of three children because of a stupid parental decision. My son in law got lucky when the golf cart rolled back at the river that a partition wall I erected caught the cart before certain death, but this father who thought he was making a safe decision fo allow his child to wade along the shore really did not have a clear sticker saying that his conduct may be dangerous. Our family almost got destroyed by a bad parental decision in our case where it was clear that the parental choice was dangerous, but clearly this father had no idea how dangerous it could be.

Do you have to have a driver's license to operate a golf cart? My 8 yr. old g'daughter and I rode around the neighborhood last night w/ her driving. We pulled over when a car came but my SIL let's her do it but they live on a fairly remote road w/ little traffic. I was a little apprehensive but the cart only goes like 5-10 mph.

Vikingwoman wrote:Do you have to have a driver's license to operate a golf cart? My 8 yr. old g'daughter and I rode around the neighborhood last night w/ her driving. We pulled over when a car came but my SIL let's her do it but they live on a fairly remote road w/ little traffic. I was a little apprehensive but the cart only goes like 5-10 mph.

Depends on where you live.   In Escambia County, FL, including Pensacola Beach, the answer is yes, when on public roads.  The cart itself also has to be licensed and street-worthy by a specific set of criteria in the ordinance.  

Now, as to whether or not the ordinance here is enforced, that's another story entirely.

I have seen a grown man break his arm because his partner looked away for where his ball was and hit a tree. I saw a grown man park his cart on an incline and not lock the brake as the cart rolled back into a lake with a very expensive watch, wallet, phones all onboard as it sank. I think any parent can on their own property allow a person without a drivers license operate an off road vehicle. The statutes do not over reach, but on the public roads in most states off road vehicles are restricted from being on the public right away, however many states with seniors have statute which allows an off road vehicle to be licensed for right of way travel. I am not a fan of children operating vehicles, but all my farm friends have kids operating tractors in grade school......it is not fun and games, but very structured, so it depends on the kids, the structure the parent or adult gives, but I would not allow an eight year old to operate a golf cart on a public road no matter how responsible because if a stupid did something which was not the fault of the golf cart driver, a child just does not have the judgment and experience of having gone through drivers training. In our town we can be ticketed for driving our golf carts around town, but everyone does it.....it does not make it legal.

And hubby just clarified that the cart's street-legal requirements referenced in the ordinance are in accordance with FL state law.

In regard to the sticker on the golf cart, it was a rental cart where we had rented two carts. They said the sticker was an insurance requirement, so our golf cart has no sticker and my son in law could have let my granddaughter drive the same on our property without being in violation of any law, other than fricking common sense when our property is very dangerous with the causeways. He had already flattened our golf cart tire racing over sharp six inch rock, and then he got in one of the rental carts and allowed a child to operate somebody's golf care who clearly put a sticker on their cart as to the restrictions to operate the same.......he was a complete numbskull. I feel strongly about letting a child operate any vehicle on public roads who does not have a drivers license.

Of course, a child doesn't have the training and experience but I was in the cart w/ her. We drove probably slower than a bicycle but I was concerned it may be illegal even if just around the neighborhood.

you were correct.

Disney can be a strange world. They mean well but sometimes they don't think things out. About 20 years ago they wanted to do a Civil War theme park complete with a slave village and a recreation of the underground railroad. They junked that idea but only after howls of protest.