Disney alligator attack: Who"s to blame?

Alligator attack: expert tips on how to escape after 2-year-old’s death at Disney World - TomoNews

In the wake of the Disney alligator attack involving a 2-year-old boy from Nebraska this past week, people are sounding off about whos to blame for the horrific tragedy.

According to CNN, the alligator dragged the toddler into a man-made lake at Disneys Grand Floridian Resort. The childs father tried to rescue him without avail. His mother also rushed into the water, but was also unsuccessful. After notifying the authorities, search crews spent hours combing the lagoon before finding the boys lifeless body.

Now many are chiming in to give their thoughts on whos to blame. Even though there were no swimming signs posted around the area, there werent any warning signs that included alligators at the time of the accident. The lack of gator signage has some people blaming Disney for what happened.

On the flip side, some are saying that parents should be made accountable and that the no swimming sign is enough to drive home the point.

It wasnt too long ago when people blamed the parents when their 3-year-old son was dragged across a moat by the 450-pound gorilla. Many were enraged that the gorilla was killed. But, parent shaming is not the way to go. We should all focus on how toavoid these types of tragedies.

According to The New York Daily News, this isnt the first alligator attack at Disney. There was a similar attack involving an 8-year-old boy 30 years ago.

So, when 38-year-old Paul Santamaria heard that Disney reported this recent gator attack as the first in Disney history, he spoke out against those claims.

I was like, Yeah it has! And it was me!" he told the NY Daily News.

Santamaria was playing with his brother, sister and another child at a Walt Disney campsite in 1986 when theattack happened. Aseven and a half foot alligator grabbed him, bit down on his leg and attempted to pull him into the water. Fortunatelywith the help of his sibling, heescaped the gatorsgrasp. But that memory is forever etched in his mind.

The alligator was submerged underwater where I couldnt see it, and when I squatted down to get the ducks to eat from my hands, he said. The alligator came out, knocked me over, turned herself around and grabbed my leg. She started to shake her head pretty hard and tried to drag me back into the water, he said.

The Daily News also reported that the resort was fully aware that there were alligators in the water.

If thats the case, then Disney should be held accountable. But its also important to note that there are alligators practically everywhere in Florida. The 2-year-old boy could have also been attacked on dry land. In fact, I remember having a conversation with a friend who moved to Florida from New York City.

He told me about the time he sawan alligator at a shopping center. They are everywhere! he said.

Fortunately, he didnt suffer an attack. But he did notify authorities who sprung into action making sure everyone was safe.

There are many tourist who visit Florida who are probably not aware of the gators. I can honestly say that when my family and I visited Florida a couple of years ago, alligators were the furthest thing from our minds.

That said, we can all do our part in making sure this doesnt happen again. We canbegin by putting an end to parent shaming.We should think about what can be done differently moving forward.

Disney took that step when they recently posted signs warning people of gators and snakes.Now its up to us to follow these warning signs. Its also important to know your surroundings.

This is a horrific tragedy and my heart goes out to this family. I pray that they are able to one day heal.

Photos:Morguefile

Stacy-Ann Gooden (aka Weather Anchor Mama) can be seen delivering the weather forecast on the news in New York City. But her most important role is being a wife and mom. She writes about balancing career and motherhood in her blog,Weather Anchor Mama. You can also follow her ontwitter,Pinterest, andInstagram.

Source: http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/disney-alligator-attack-whos-to-blame/