Alligator dragged 2 year old into 7 seas lagoon

[Sabeking]

Someone posted an article earlier and I can't find it but it mentioned looking for the alligator responsible. Is stated that they would continue to search for it. My question is , if the boy died of drowning and puncture wounds how would they be able to identify the alligator?

 

[stitch'sgirl]

Someone posted an article earlier and I can't find it but it mentioned looking for the alligator responsible. Is stated that they would continue to search for it. My question is , if the boy died of drowning and puncture wounds how would they be able to identify the alligator?

Matching up the teeth marks

 

[LargoLori]

Someone posted an article earlier and I can't find it but it mentioned looking for the alligator responsible. Is stated that they would continue to search for it. My question is , if the boy died of drowning and puncture wounds how would they be able to identify the alligator?

FWC said they use forensics and check bite marks.

 

[Sabeking]

Gotcha, thanks!

 

[old lady]

It 'is' FL, and no way to keep them all out of any given area! I will be extra super cautious from now on even though I've always thought about them when there. I'm a deep south LA girl so know the dangers.

I am from the desert and it would be nice to have someone remind us about the dangers of the wildlife, not to be paranoid but to have some caution.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I am from the desert and it would be nice to have someone remind us about the dangers of the wildlife, not to be paranoid but to have some caution.

Shucks.... I just came home from a vacation in Tucson. I wanted wifey to pose with a Saguaro but was afraid she would step on a rattler or scorpion if she went off trail.

MG

 

[PollyannaMom]

Even other guests outside will be haunted forever.

That's true. I don't think we've heard much about it because of course it doesn't compare to the loss the boy's family is suffering, but I'm sure witnessing something like this is also traumatic in its own way.

ETA: I just got a neighborhood message that they are tying blue ribbons on trees for support. I don't think they live in my neighborhood, but they are very close to me. I'll get a blue ribbon tomorrow.

I think that's a nice gesture.

 

[ronandannette]

That will more than likely be their best and most cost effective way to resolve this.

I hope they don't sue Disney.

I can see Disney comping their rooms, meals, tickets, and transportation back home. NOTE: I don't think Disney HAS to do that, but I think it would be the "right" thing to do.

It is very possible they won't sue. Not everybody does - it's assumed as a matter of course, but it's far from true. Maybe they don't need or want money; certainly money won't ease their unimaginable loss. They for damn sure don't need the pain and stress continuing to be in the public eye will bring. Maybe, as people of faith (which I believe they have been reported to be) they would rather turn their focus elsewhere and rely on the love and support of their family and community and begin their life-long journey of grieving in privacy.

On a slightly different note, I heard a news report today that it was "unlikely" charges would be brought against the parents. The very idea goes from the ridiculous to the sublime...

 

[Clifton Tesh]

A question for any legal professionals reading this thread:

My understanding of strict liability and how it applies to wild animals is elementary at best, but my curiosity is getting the best of me. Since Disney owned the land where these wild animals live, are those wild animals considered owned by Disney as well? Would/could strict liability be applied or successfully argued under these types of circumstances? I realize it applies with dangerous animals privately owned, but I wondered if ownership could be implied in this type of scenario?

Wanted to add that I realize this wouldn't be the first avenue argued. Just curious if it could even remotely apply.

Here's an article where an actual lawyer has answered this

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/15/opini...ty-alligator-attack-danny-cevallos/index.html

 

[kellyg403]

My heart goes out to everyone involved...such a tragedy for everyone. I don't blame the parents, the gator or Disney. I feel like it was such a freak accident no one could have anticipated it happening.

I live in Coastal North Carolina, we have alligators here. My son's home has a creek running through the back yard that spills into a larger water bed. Last year, a couple were walking their dog and the dog went close to the edge and he was taken by a gator that lurched from the water. Its a powerful split second lurch. There is no way the parents would have been able to stop it once it started. That they got to the alligator at all is amazing. The gator by my son's home was caught and he was over 500 lbs and approximately 50 years old. In the news conference from Florida, I heard there were over a million alligators in Florida. That attacks don't happen daily shows how much the alligators DON'T 'hunt' humans. Here, we also see the alligators ride the 'surf' in the ocean from time to time. They are used to the brackish water (salt/fresh mix).

I would imagine that we can put as many signs on Disney property as we want. If you are from Nebraska or any state without an alligator population, you have no idea HOW dangerous they can be. They are powerful animals and knowing they are dangerous and knowing what they are capable of are two different things when you have lived near them in normal day to day life. My heart goes out to the parents on so many levels. Very tragic.

 

[PollyannaMom]

On a slightly different note, I heard a news report today that it was "unlikely" charges would be brought against the parents. The very idea goes from the ridiculous to the sublime...

I heard that too, and agree with you.

 

[kellyg403]

I also wanted to mention that in Dec of last year, we were standing on the bridge by Splash Mountain watching the ride boats come down. I happened to look over and there was an alligator under the bridge. He/she was just floating there with the splashes of the boats hitting it. My husband went to get a worker and he went and got a few other people. We left before we saw what they did, but we never saw the gator again.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

Here's an article where an actual lawyer has answered this

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/15/opini...ty-alligator-attack-danny-cevallos/index.html

I was more interested in how, if at all, the strict liability tort might apply in this situation. He addressed the wild animal and property perspective but I did not see mention of the strict liability issue in the article.

I'm not even sure it would apply, which is why I asked for any legal professionals who may understand the specifics of strict liability much better than I to help me understand it. It appears that strict liability would not apply, but I had the same question when the Cincinnati Zoo event happened as many states have protected their zoos from strict liability claims. It's an interesting and complicated legal term that I was hoping to gain a better understanding of.

 

[CPanther95]

Back in the early 70's we were at a FL State Park that had a big pond for swimming. After swimming all morning we went canoeing in a nearby waterway where we notice a huge (seemed so at the time) alligator up in front of us. We kept a good distance going around it, but as we were passing it, we could hear a bunch of kids screaming and playing on the other side of the berm at the edge of the waterway. When we asked what was on the other side, my Uncle (lived there) said it was the swimming pond we were in earlier. We asked what keeps the alligator from climbing over that (probably 10 foot high) mound and getting into the swimming pond, he said, "This guy has been here for years, he won't go over where people are splashing and making noise". While we believed him at the time, we all agreed that there's not a chance in hell we would have swam had we known it was just over the hill.

Just to make sure, we went back to the swimming area and climbed to the top of that mound to look down at the creek, and sure enough - he was there. Not the brightest idea but we had to check it out - and of course take some photos (the genesis of the touron).

About 3 weeks after we got back from FL, my Uncle sent us an article about a girl in that swimming pond that was killed by that same alligator. Not sure if they ever reopened it for swimming, or not. I have never blindly trusted any tourist attraction ever since. Just because something is open to the public, I don't assume that everything must be kosher.

If I can find a photo, I'll post it here.




Here's a couple:

and just to show how long ago it was - this was the same trip:

EDIT: Just found an old article online regarding the incident:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=So0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5868,1082820&hl=en

 

[goodeats]

I think the family should sue and will win due to the fact that Disney allowed (by not prohibiting) people feeding gators at the resorts. Specifically people with the over the water bungalows at the Poly. CMs warned management and nothing was done due to not wanting to upset the guests paying large amounts. If gators are fed on a regular basis of course they are going to come back and look for food.

 

[Clifton Tesh]

My heart goes out to everyone involved...such a tragedy for everyone. I don't blame the parents, the gator or Disney. I feel like it was such a freak accident no one could have anticipated it happening.

I live in Coastal North Carolina, we have alligators here. My son's home has a creek running through the back yard that spills into a larger water bed. Last year, a couple were walking their dog and the dog went close to the edge and he was taken by a gator that lurched from the water. Its a powerful split second lurch. There is no way the parents would have been able to stop it once it started. That they got to the alligator at all is amazing. The gator by my son's home was caught and he was over 500 lbs and approximately 50 years old. In the news conference from Florida, I heard there were over a million alligators in Florida. That attacks don't happen daily shows how much the alligators DON'T 'hunt' humans. Here, we also see the alligators ride the 'surf' in the ocean from time to time. They are used to the brackish water (salt/fresh mix).

I would imagine that we can put as many signs on Disney property as we want. If you are from Nebraska or any state without an alligator population, you have no idea HOW dangerous they can be. They are powerful animals and knowing they are dangerous and knowing what they are capable of are two different things when you have lived near them in normal day to day life. My heart goes out to the parents on so many levels. Very tragic.

I grew up at Cure Beach and then when I got older was stationed at Lejeune so I guess I just got use to alligator awareness. It wasn't uncommon to see them out basking on the rocks during the day, or even floating around in the brackish inlets at the new river. We would fish and shrimp with in 100 feet of them and they'd never bother us. You would occasionally see them grab a duck or squirrel or something, I even heard quite often of a family dog or cat that got eaten, but they'd never come after humans.

When the wife and I went to WDW in April I was looking everywhere for them and was amazed at how good of a job Disney did at keeping them off property. It's not like they try to hide, they're usually out in plain sight catching the most sun they can, so I knew Disney had to be doing something to keep the alligator population down (it's kind of prime alligator real estate).

You make a valid point. Unless you are exposed to something routinely, you never fully understand the dangers of it. You can read about it and study it all you want, but you'll never truly understand it with out exposure.

What happened is truly a tragic accident in which Disney nor the parents are at fault. But you'll never get people who are not familiar with gators to understand that.

 

[declansdad]

I think the family should sue and will win due to the fact that Disney allowed (by not prohibiting) people feeding gators at the resorts. Specifically people with the over the water bungalows at the Poly. CMs warned management and nothing was done due to not wanting to upset the guests paying large amounts. If gators are fed on a regular basis of course they are going to come back and look for food.

First off, how do you know they did nothing? Second, how would you actually stop people from feeding any of the wildlife?

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

 

[ConeyLighthouse]

Article in the NY Post - Disney ignored gator problem to keep high end guests happy

http://nypost.com/2016/06/17/disney-ignored-gator-problem-to-keep-high-end-guests-happy-report/

 

[L&Lfan]

Gotta love the Post!