Oh why don't these people value life?

Good post, breeze.

Nonnie 1 you may have been to Florida and seen alligator warning signs everywhere but you have obviously never been on Disney property, I have many many times and I can honestly say I have never seen any alligator warning signs anywhere.
Jenty 61
They were on holiday, why wouldn't their kids be up late?

One day you or yours may sadly be involved in a freak accident and I hope people show you more compassion. Your comments are hateful and this is the first time I've felt compelled to write on one of these forums.

The parents are to blame, would anyone let a baby like that on his own by water, you keep hold of them. Same with that beautiful gorilla shot because the parents attention wandered of a little boy. Agree with Nanandgrampy, I would not let a child in that water to paddle I would not let a toddler run off by animal enclosures and don't know anyone that would.

From a report I read, they were on the beach at a Disney resort to watch a firework display.

Quite honestly, would anyone expect there to be alligators in the water just off a beautiful beach in a resort hotel? The report also said that they were 'on the beach' - was the child paddling? has that been confirmed? Alligators (and crocodiles) do leave the water, extremely rapidly.

Disney has been negligent.
Those poor parents.

And surely the fence around the gorilla enclosure must have had gaps in it large enough to allow a child to get through. (whether gorillas should be in zoos is another point which I won't go into on here.)

There but for the Grace of God go all of us, I am thankful nothing like that has ever happened, or nearly happened to anyone on here who has condemned the parents.

Have any of us nothing to reproach ourselves for in our child rearing skills?
Quite, Jaxie

I think I was a careful parent compared to some, but on more than one occasion one or another of mine went missing when we were momentarily distracted. Thank God no harm came to any of them.

and I agree with Breeze's posts

I have paddled and swum in the sea with DGS off an idyllic beach in NQ - apparently a week or so later there was a large croc patrolling up and down not far from the shore
There were no signs on that beach, although there are on some.

My question is this: why are there alligators in these lagoons in the first place if they are open to the public? Apparently,there is a natural lake that feeds the lagoons,which are man-made. If there is no way of keeping them out of the lagoons,they really should not be accessible to the public. I have also read (someone's opinion) that Disney 'underplays' the threat from alligators.

And unfortunately,you will ALWAYS get some people who vastly under-estimate the danger of wild animals,such as alligators. They think,'oh we would run away if we saw one approaching,or even 'we would scare it off! . Don't underestimate the stealth,speed and strength of these creatures.

The resort was built on swamp land I think, Spangles, so man is encroaching on their natural habitat.
However, I would have thought it should have been a matter of priority when building the resort to erect underwater barriers between the developed areas and the areas where alligators still live.

Man has built on swamp land, if there was a way to keep the alligators out they would have. I have been there and there are plenty of signs and warnings about. Every year people that live in Florida are taken by alligators, but people still choose to live there, that is the risk they take, so I stand by what I said, you don't take chances. Everyone knows they are a problem in Florida, you can't not know.

I have spent a lot of time in NQ; I wouldn't swim in estuaries or salty rivers but people still do.
Someone was taken only the other week, she was waistdeep in the sea (not an estuary) in the evening. There were warning notices all around.

We were there as long ago as 1991, and even back then we were told regularly not to go into water that wasn`t a designated swimming are, as alligators can be found in water almost anywhere in the area.
When we visited Busch Gardens, on our way out I felt very sorry for the indignity suffered by a very large, and old, alligator, in a small pen, because passers by had been flicking their cigarette ends over the fence, and the poor thing`s back was covered in them.

Some very unkind and selfrighteous comments here

Some very silly remarks made here I'm afraid.
Yes,it's true,many of us will have lapsed at one time or another.and accidents happened course they do,we're only human.BUT,the big but again,a two year old can't be trusted near anything potentially dangerous,like a road,water,a drop of any kind,medicine,need I spell it all out,yes clearly I do.Thats why we have all the elf & safety rules,for silly people.Most of us don't need to be told.Give me bleddy strength.

How do you know he was on his own? His father was close enough to grab hold of him but couldn't overcome the strength of the alligator in the water. There were no warning signs we are told. I many people would not think of such a danger.

I would not let a child wander on their own near a road but being with a two year old having a paddle in a man made lagoon it would not enter my head that an alligator would grab him.

No health and safety warnings we are told Marmark1 . That's the point.

For goodness sake the parents have lost a small child. They must be heartbroken.

Yes,what ever,I give up.

I totally agree with you

Florida is a large swamp with many alligators that get everywhere. Local residents are told to check their swimming pools just in case one has wandered in. I once went on an airboat trip and when we stopped in a lagoon I trailed my hand in the water. I removed it pretty quickly when the guy said he took alligator hunting trips there at night!

The signs quite clearly said 'No Swimming',the child was paddling.
A couple from liverpool were in the news yesterday revealing that they have also been on that beach for a late film showing.
Their 8 year old noticed a noise and they thought someone had run a jet ski onto the beach,until someone shouted 'alligator '!!!!
People grabbed their children and fled from the beach.
Why on earth are Disney showing these films near water when they know that dusk is when these monsters leave the water,and this is not the first occurrence.
I would not allow my young children to paddle in any water without I was with them ,and certainly not near a warning stating that there was an underwater shelf.
However,I find the comments re.prosecuting the parents lacking in compassion and rather sanctimonious.
This family will live every day in sorrow for the rest of their lives.
Isn,t that enough for you?

I agree with you Granny2016.

Me too

Fireworks,not a film.

What or where is NQ?

I presumed it meant North Queensland, Phoenix.

It was certainly reported as a film Granny