Disney World alligator "goes gator".

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Termite
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Disney World alligator "goes gator".

Post by Termite »

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/deputi ... -at-disney
The search for a boy who deputies say was dragged by an alligator into the water at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World continues.
The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in a sandy waterfront area outside the hotel near the Seven Seas Lagoon on hotel property near Magic Kingdom.

The 2-year-old boy was on vacation with his family from Nebraska and arrived at the resort Sunday, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.

Witnesses said the family was on the beach and the boy's 4-year-old sister was in a playpen about 20 to 30 yards from the water on the sand, according to Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings. The toddler was wading in the water nearby..........

........There are "No Swimming" signs at the lagoon....
I hate it for the kid, but the parents are dumbasses.

Bit of advice to folks who don't live in gator country: DO NOT feed them, they are not pets. They are reptiles with a reptilian brain. All they know is eat, sleep, reproduce.
No, they AREN'T as dangerous as crocodiles, but they can and will take humans, particuliarly children, if hungry. And if you mess around a female's nest, she will attack you.

Get this thru your heads, morons.
"Life is a bitch. Shit happens. Adapt, improvise, and overcome. Acknowledge it, and move on."
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Durham68
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Re: Disney World alligator "goes gator".

Post by Durham68 »

No swimming signs are ignored here in CT and pretty much everywhere else I have traveled in the northeast. Probably the same in NE where the family is from. If the reason for the sign is gators, the sign should be a picture of a gator.

ETA: Like this http://www.tmz.com/2016/06/15/disney-al ... ing-hyatt/
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JKosprey
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Re: Disney World alligator "goes gator".

Post by JKosprey »

Gators gonna gate....
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D5CAV
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Re: Disney World alligator "goes gator".

Post by D5CAV »

Agree with Termite.

The pool at Vernal Falls in Yosemite claims about 2 or 3 from the bottom of the human gene pool every year.

In addition to a number of "no swimming" signs, there is an obnoxious permanent metal railing spoiling the view for the top 99.99% of the human gene pool to give an additional clue that swimming in the pool is unwise.

The occasional park ranger will cite anyone they find in the pool, but park rangers are not 24/7.
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Netpackrat
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Re: Disney World alligator "goes gator".

Post by Netpackrat »

Apparently the father fought with the alligator, but in accordance with Disney policy, he only had his bare hands to work with.
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mekender
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Re: Disney World alligator "goes gator".

Post by mekender »

My home town... Every single natural body of water (except for springs that are too cold) in the state of FL has gators in it... Every one... They are a normal thing there and in most places they are the apex predator. I grew up swimming in ponds and lakes that were full of them, they usually will not bother humans. But children and small pets that are on or near the shore line are the exact kind of prey they hunt, and it is no surprise when they do it.
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evan price
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Re: Disney World alligator "goes gator".

Post by evan price »

Clearly Walt Disney World Resorts should have posted the "No Alligators Alllowed" signs near the water, and made sure the policy was publicized in their materials. That would have prevented this tragedy.
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Termite
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Re: Disney World alligator "goes gator".

Post by Termite »

Netpackrat wrote:Apparently the father fought with the alligator, but in accordance with Disney policy, he only had his bare hands to work with.
The alligator was reported to be "4 to 7 ft long". That's quite a large difference, and indicates eye witnesses not familiar with gators.

We have a saying here in gator country regarding the reported length of one: "divide by two, and add 2." So if someone other than LDWF, a biologist, or alligator hunter/trapper claims to have seen " a 15 ft alligator", it's likely significantly less than that.
So I'm going with a 5ft - 6ft gator in the Disney World lagoon, which is large enough to drown a 2 yr old child.

Assuming average 30-40 yr male in good health, the father should have been able to handle a gator this size with his bare hands.........if he knew how. Obviously he did not.
I'm just speculating here, but he probably tried to pry open the gator's jaws, while still in the water.... a natural response, trying to get the kid out of the gator's mouth.
But that's a losing strategy. An NFL lineman might be able to pry open the jaws of a 6ft gator....but I doubt it. And you're still in the water, the gator's domain. What he could have done is wrap his arms around the gator behind the head and the forelegs, and lift/drag it and the child out of the water. Then bury his thumbs in the gator's eyes, while yelling for help. Gators do not like confrontation/fighting out of water, and will try to escape.

Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.......... :(
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PawPaw
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Re: Disney World alligator "goes gator".

Post by PawPaw »

Depending on what part of the body the gator grabbed, the child may have had a fatal injury in the opening seconds of the engagement. But, I agree that the worst place to fight a gator bare-handed is in the water. Grab the gator like Termite suggested, get it out of the water, and then attempt a rescue. You might not be fast/strong/lucky enough to recover a live child, but you'll probably not be looking for a dead child.

This scenario was my nightmare when I had young children, and gators in the pond. I was merciless with them. Better explaining a dead gator to the Fish and Wildlife boys than explaining a dead child to grandma. I live on a little lake right now, and I haven't seen a gator in it, but I'd be likewise merciless with any that thought to take up residence.
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Vonz90
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Re: Disney World alligator "goes gator".

Post by Vonz90 »

Per the news, the family was from Nebraska. I am going to assume they did not have a lot of first hand experience with gators.
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