[Macie Lightfoot]

for whatever it's worth, the Grand Floridian (resort where it happened) is on a man-made lake with plenty of beach areas to be walking along. I don't think it's strange that people were close to the water (although being in the water is a different story.)

I'm going to WDW next week so it'll be interesting to see what the atmosphere is like after this and the Orlando shooting. Too many terrible things happening all at once.

[AnnieK]

Can't imagine what terror and pain that child will have felt. The parents should have read the signs and not allowed the child in the water. So sad.

[arista]

https://twitter.com/Menardness/statu...rc=twsrc%5Etfw
[They're saying that a 2 year old
was eaten by an alligator... Jesus.]

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

Walking near waters edge at 9.20 at night...

Crumbs yes, I missed that bit I thought it was am not pm,good point.

Horrible tragedy but that I find unacceptable.

[jaxie]

It sounds like a nightmare what a horrible thing for any parent to have to face but I have to wonder didn't they know they were in an area where there might be alligators? Didn't Disney have any warning signs up? If there were signs, what were mum and dad thinking? I don't live anywhere near any alligators but if I saw a sign, no way my kids would be in that water. Kind of wonder what a 2 year old was doing up at 9.20pm as well, mine was always zonked out by then holiday or not.

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Perhaps there should be more prominent information on display given that it's a tourist area... people who live in Florida know how to peacefully co-exist with these animals, the do's and don't's, because they do it every day but this family was from Nebraska, which is smack in the centre of the US thousands of miles from either coast, and it seems like they were simply unaware of the risks.

There were signs up around warning about swimming but not the crocks it seems

[jennyjuniper]

Notices should have been posted stating the dangers of bathing etc where crocodiles are likely to be. Maybe this poor family didn't realise the dangers?

[Livia]

Originally Posted by jennyjuniper

Notices should have been posted stating the dangers of bathing etc where crocodiles are likely to be. Maybe this poor family didn't realise the dangers?

I think it's already been said that there were notices.

[LeatherTrumpet]

I find it staggering that they

1. did not know that crocs and sharks feed at dawn and dusk

2. that crocs/alligators were not present and a danger

3. that they let a small child paddle at 9.20pm

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by jennyjuniper

Notices should have been posted stating the dangers of bathing etc where crocodiles are likely to be. Maybe this poor family didn't realise the dangers?

No notices about crocs just no swimming, he was paddling which is not unknown for people to do in water that they can't swim in, Disney have to shoulder the blame for this one, it's all very well saying people should research etc, but Disney have a man made beach there what signal does that send out

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

I find it staggering that they

1. did not know that crocs and sharks feed at dawn and dusk

2. that crocs/alligators were not present and a danger

3. that they let a small child paddle at 9.20pm

I didn't know 1. I wouldn't expect 2 especially as there is a man made beach and no notices about crocs. 3 meh they are on holiday ever been on a Spanish beach the families only come off the beach at sundown, they are asleep while the Brits are burning themselves to a frazzle in the noon day sun

[Ammi]

..this is so horrendous for the family plus everyone else who is staying there atm...although there were 'no swimming' signs, the Orange County Sheriff said that nothing like this has ever happened before, so it would be easy with his parents both close and watching him, which they were..to feel relaxed enough to not ever think of any possible danger like this...Disney Resort may be built on Marshland but I think that it's still one of those freak things that no one would have predicted as the nightmare reality that is now...

[LeatherTrumpet]

Investigators killed four alligators while searching for a boy who was attacked and dragged into a lake Tuesday night

None of the alligators killed showed signs of having attacked the child

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nati...#storylink=cpy

[jaxie]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

Investigators killed four alligators while searching for a boy who was attacked and dragged into a lake Tuesday night

None of the alligators killed showed signs of having attacked the child

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nati...#storylink=cpy

That also seems a bit rough on the alligators, why kill them if they hadn't done any harm? They are clearly wildlife natural to the area.

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by jaxie

That also seems a bit rough on the alligators, why kill them if they hadn't done any harm? They are clearly wildlife natural to the area.

The whole resort is built on a gator swamp

[Dollface]

Is it bad that the ones I feel most sorry for is the gators?

[Mokka]

I don't know why we expect tourists at a resort to know anything about the local wildlife dangers if not prewarned. People don't go out into or educate themselves on their own local natural habitat. They probably chose a resort for that false sense of protected against the real world they are visiting... much like when people go to poverty stricken South America and think its so wonderful having never set foot outside of the resort.Yes, there is an element of ignorance here from the parents... but I don't fault them for it because it is a larger systemic ignorance of our society on a whole.

It's just a tragedy as far as I can see, but one that was perpetrated by our society as a whole.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Dollface

Is it bad that the ones I feel most sorry for is the gators?

I feel more sorry for a two year old child over a reptile personally

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I feel more sorry for a two year old child over a reptile personally

Me too

Originally Posted by jaxie

That also seems a bit rough on the alligators, why kill them if they hadn't done any harm? They are clearly wildlife natural to the area.

They killed them to find some remains of the child I expect

[Livia]

Originally Posted by jaxie

That also seems a bit rough on the alligators, why kill them if they hadn't done any harm? They are clearly wildlife natural to the area.

The same thing happens when some dickhead swimming/diving/surfing in shark-infested waters gets attacked by a shark. All the sharks in the area get slaughtered whether they are man eaters or not. Same thing will happen here.

It's about time people got some ****ing awareness of the world around them instead of blindly lurching around waiting for other people to point out potential dangers.

[Wizard.]

Jesus I feel so sorry for them. The pain that child must've gone through, being eaten by an alligator is not a pleasant way to go. I remember reading about a women being eaten by one a few weeks ago after going skinny dipping, I mean ffs you're in Florida how would you not know? That's like going to Kansas and staying outside when the winds are 200mph and not expect a tornado to sweep you away.

[Dollface]

Originally Posted by Livia

The same thing happens when some dickhead swimming/diving/surfing in shark-infested waters gets attacked by a shark. All the sharks in the area get slaughtered whether they are man eaters or not. Same thing will happen here.

It's about time people got some ****ing awareness of the world around them instead of blindly lurching around waiting for other people to point out potential dangers.

If people took notice of signs, or watched their bloody children, animals wouldn't be getting killed because of their ignorance. Gorillas, Alligators, Sharks, what next...

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Livia

The same thing happens when some dickhead swimming/diving/surfing in shark-infested waters gets attacked by a shark. All the sharks in the area get slaughtered whether they are man eaters or not. Same thing will happen here.

It's about time people got some ****ing awareness of the world around them instead of blindly lurching around waiting for other people to point out potential dangers.

I don't think a toddler with his feet in an a few inches of water in a Disney Resort is blindly lurching around, Disney knew the risks otherwise why wouldn't they have warned against swimming, they are trying to protect their brand hence never mentioned crocs, you take your kids to Disney and pay handsomely for the privilege of its family friendly brand, you at least expect to be warned of the potential risk however small of an animal eating your toddler, swimming in shark infested waters is a whole different matter

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

The problem with Disney resorts is you tend to suspend reality, if the area was set up as a beach resort then paddling in the water at 9pm on holiday is no biggie, if there were no warning signs I personally wouldn't be aware, it's not the Everglades

I've paddled in the same water and I completely agree.

This is horrific. That poor family.

[Kazanne]

Well blame aside,that poor kid,I cannot as a mom imagine the horror of seeing your child dragged off like that.Very sad story