[BadmouthBetty]

Still waiting for a dingo to get a baby.

All joking aside, I hope the family finds peace in all of this. How terrible.

[shadowplay]

Living in the south my whole life, always being told about Florida & alligators, my first thought is "damn, that's horribly stupid...never ever ever go near murky water in Florida, especially at dusk & dark...duh...hindsight 20/20...". I think how that baby's family will be reliving this the rest of their lives & how quickly something like that can happen. I also think "how can someone be so oblivious & ignorant", but then I also think that even with all I know, if I were spending $200 a night at a resort on private property, alligators coming that close to the shore would probably be pretty far from my mind. It's they aren't seen too often, let alone on the beaches at the resorts. (These people were also from Nebraska, where they've probably never seen an alligator & can't imagine how prevalert they are.)
As a HUGE Disney freak, even I didn't realize or think about it until today that Seven Seas Lagoon (man made by Disney) is directly connected to a natural body of water, Bay Lake, providing direct access for Florida wildlife. I honestly can see it from all sides & think it's just a horrible, horrible tragedy for everyone all around.

Annnnd being a Disney whore & loving all things of the Happiest Place on Earth, I must confess that it's already crossed my mind, wondering if they'll reduce any room or park rates for awhile...

[Azimuth]

Originally Posted by shadowplay ↗

As a HUGE Disney freak, even I didn't realize or think about it until today that Seven Seas Lagoon (man made by Disney) is directly connected to a natural body of water, Bay Lake, providing direct access for Florida wildlife

I didn't know that either, I've been there several times.

Also just a thought, perhaps Disney shouldn't have "movie night" right on the water like that anymore, at dusk when alligators are naturally more active. I'm sure many tourists aren't aware of that fact.

Along with their "no swimming" signs they should also put a sign indicating there are alligators in their "man-made" lake and that they can come grab you when you're only wading.

It is an awful time for Orlando right now.

[DiamondSmiles]

Until the op accepts the contributions, here are photos.

The parents disregarded the signs. They are at fault.

Look at this face!

[ocrage]

i googled the lagoon and this is one of the first pictures that pops up

[vagabond]

Poor kid, poor family. All round tragedy, he was a cute tyke. Thankfully, his body was recovered, and in one piece.

[Meridian]

It said no swimming but the kid wasn't swimming. If the reason is alligators, I'd say the signs should be more clear!

I wouldn't let my kids swim in a lake but paddling at the edge is different.

This is just not the kind of thing anyone would expect in this situation. The parents were not being negligent. They simply didn't know there was that risk.

[mmeroyale]

I think the no alligators sign must go against some of those crazy disney rules imo like that'd break the illusion of perfect place I dunno. It honestly doesn't matter now let's be real. There were signs but they weren't aware of how dangerous it could be and now a family is broken apart. Let's hope they can eventually center themselves back from the chaos that must be their minds rn

[Dodecahedron]

Agree that a no swimming sign does not explain a deadly reptile can lurch from the murky depths and snatch a child in 4 inches of water.

"Forensics teams will try to determine whether one of the alligators already taken from the lake is the one that dragged off the boy. If not, the search for alligators in the lake will continue."

Sorry but... whhyyy???

[alyjo07]

I heard about this story on the news. My heart breaks for the mother.