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BBC wrote:Alligator drags boy into water near Orlando Disney resort

Florida police are searching for a two­year­old boy who was dragged into water by an alligator near a Disney resort.

The boy was on the shoreline of the Seven Seas Lagoon by the Disney Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in Orlando when he was dragged away late on Tuesday, officials said.

The boy's father entered the water and tried in vain to grab him from the alligator's jaws, police said.

Fifty police and wildlife experts were searching for the boy, officials said.

"We are searching for a little boy to hopefully bring the family some comfort," said police spokesman Jeff Williamson.

Four alligators have so far been taken from the lake and killed for examination, but no evidence of the boy has been found, police said.

What are the world's deadliest animals?

The family with three children from the state of Nebraska were relaxing near the shore of the lagoon when the incident happened at 21:16 local time (01:16 GMT).

There is a "no swimming" sign on the man­made lagoon, but although the boy was on the edge of the water there was no indication he was swimming, Mr Williamson said.

His father sustained minor lacerations to his arm in the attempt to retrieve his child, he added.

John Hammond: All major theme parks have delays. When they opened Disneyland in 1956, nothing worked!
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but, John, if The Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists.

Simon_Jester wrote:Basically yes. Although there is some balance to be struck, where a combination of trapping and hunting keeps the alligator population limited and prevents them from getting too comfortable in the most populated areas, while keeping enough alligators around that ecosystems do not suffer unduly.

Zixinus wrote:Of course, it is one of those things you can argue about if you want but the fact remains that "beware alligators" would have resolved a lot of ambiguity.

Zixinus wrote:Of course, it is one of those things you can argue about if you want but the fact remains that "beware alligators" would have resolved a lot of ambiguity.

Broomstick wrote:Given that there is a non-insignificant number of foreign tourists, of varying English skills, the less ambiguity the better when it comes to Disney signage.

Orlando alligator: Who is liable for toddler's death?

On Wednesday, police in Orlando, Florida, recovered the body of a toddler who was dragged underwater by an alligator while staying at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort.
Though alligators are common in the state, the incident raises questions about whether Disney could have prevented the boy's death.
Two-year-old Lane Graves was wading in shallow water on the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon when he was seized.
"No swimming" signs were displayed, but they did not warn specifically about the presence of alligators in the water, a situation that a Disney spokeswoman said was being reviewed.
"All of our beaches are currently closed, and we are conducting a swift and thorough review of all of our processes and protocols," Jacquee Wahler said in a statement on Thursday.
"This includes the number, placement and wording of our signage and warnings."
Lane and his family, who are from Elkhorn, Nebraska, were relaxing near the lagoon's shore on Tuesday night when he was taken by an alligator believed to have been between 1.2-2m (4-7ft) long.
After a 16-hour search, Lane's body was found "intact" a few metres from shore and 1.8m (6ft) underwater, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said.
The Orange County Medical Examiner's Office subsequently said the boy had died from drowning and traumatic injuries.
"We are devastated and heartbroken by this tragic accident and are doing what we can to help the family during this difficult time," said Walt Disney World president George Kalogridis.
Police have said an investigation is under way, and that it is not criminal in nature.
The death is the first of its kind at Disney World in its 45 years of operation, according to Sheriff Demings. But is the company legally liable?

'Anomaly'
Disney's liability hinges on whether it was negligent in warning guests about the potential dangers of alligators and what the company knew about the risk of harm, according to Florida state law.
Though state agencies post alligator warning signs near bodies of water, the attack occurred at a lagoon Disney said was marked only with "no swimming" signs, which did not specify the animal's threat.
Disney also works with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to remove "nuisance alligators", or alligators that are considered dangerous to people, from its waters.
But officials could not identify the last alligator sighting on Disney property or say how many had been removed in recent weeks, Nick Wiley, the FWC executive director, told the Orlando Sentinel.
Authorities removed and euthanised five alligators from the water after Lane Graves was taken.
Disney's liability also depends on the status of both the family and the alligator.
According to Florida's premises liability law, a property owner is responsible for keeping property in a safe condition and for warning its "invitee", or someone welcomed onto the property, of concealed dangers that are known to owners.
The owner is also responsible if a child who has trespassed is harmed by an "attractive nuisance" on the property. An "attractive nuisance" is defined as an artificial item, such as a swimming pool or hot tub, that could be considered enticing to a child. The law, however, does not extend to wildlife.
Property owners are also not responsible for "invitee" encounters with wild animals, according to state law. The company would be responsible only if the alligators were kept as pets or under Disney's control.
Despite these protections, the company could be held accountable if found to be outright negligent.
John Mesirow, a personal injury lawyer in Washington, told the BBC that the case against Disney would be tough legally because of the infrequency of alligator attacks.
However, Disney would almost certainly settle with the family in a civil case to avoid a public relations disaster, Mr Mesirow said.
"They will definitely settle, because a two-year-old died on their property and they cater to children," he explained.
"As far as a civil case goes, on the law, it's not that strong."
Disney's role will depend on what the resort knew and did about the threat of alligators and whether the "no swimming" signage was considered a reasonable enough warning for its guests.
Joseph Page, a law professor at Georgetown University, told the BBC that unless Disney was found guilty of "egregious misbehaviour", it is unlikely to be found negligent.
"After all, it is Florida," he said. "Everyone knows there are alligators near the water."
Still, alligator deaths in Florida are rare.
Before Lane Graves' death, 23 people had been killed by alligators in the state since 1973, according to FWC statistics.
Animal expert Jeff Corwin told the BBC that the attack was an "anomaly" and not much could have been done to prevent it.