Parents leave child in hot stroller, go to ride Pirates

netslave · Post by **netslave** » Jul Mon 02, 2007 1:22 pm

Parents leave child in hot stroller, go to ride Pirates

In what has got to be one of the worst cases of people checking their brains at the gate, two parents left their 3-year-old daughter in a stroller in 91 degree heat and went to ride Pirates of the Caribbean. At 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, June 23, a concerned guest notified ride attendants at Pirates of the Caribbean that they had seen a small child unattended in a stroller.

Upon finding the girl, the attendants noted that she appeared overheated and was sweating profusely. The attendants moved the child into the shade and called for assistance. The ride manager arrived 10 minutes later and noted that the child appeared unresponsive and covered with sweat, then called Reedy Creek Emergency Services.

Upon arrival, the Reedy Creek paramedic noted that the child appeared to be lifeless and unresponsive and displaying early signs of heat exhaustion, then moved her to an air conditioned area to cool her down. Once in the cool air, the girl began to respond and react, and was given cool water to bring her temperature down.

The parents finally approached a Walt Disney World security officer around 5:35 p.m., asking for help in finding their child, and were brought to the Orange County Deputy Sheriff responding to the incident. The father stated that the girl was accidentally left behind becase she was sleeping and that he thought that his wife had the child. The mother thought that the girl was sleeping in a second, covered stroller.

The mother had gone on the ride while the father waited for her at the ride's exit. The father went back to move the stroller to the correct stroller parking area, but did not notice the girl in the sunlight when he did so.

The girl was noted to have a swollen, red mark on her forehead that her parents explained was from a fall the day before for which they had not sought medical attention.

Due to the possible heat exhaustion, combined with the potential head injury, it was concluded that the girl had been placed in harm's way, which could have possibly led to death, especially if she had been left alone in the 91 degree heat for nearly an hour until her parents went looking for her. The parents were charged with child abuse and brought to the Orange County jail. The girl was placed in custody of other family members, with the approval of the Florida Department of Children and Family. The parents were later released on $2,500 bail each.

I'm not even going to editorialize on this one. I shouldn't have to.

http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=wd070702mg

SWHorn · Post by **SWHorn** » Jul Mon 02, 2007 1:26 pm

Good grief! Why do people like this have children?!

Nonnie · Post by **Nonnie** » Jul Mon 02, 2007 3:22 pm

What I could do if I were on the jury...

AKLRULZ · Post by **AKLRULZ** » Jul Mon 02, 2007 6:15 pm

Let's hope these parents never get custody back of this poor child. Sterilize them both I say.

Blackie Pueblo · Post by **Blackie Pueblo** » Jul Mon 02, 2007 6:19 pm

My wife and I would love to have children, and then you have those parents that HAVE children and are complete morons. Sometimes life is unfair.

On a better note, it sounds like DIsney lept to action and handled it very well.

"I regard (children) as important members of the family, and we have always considered their age, experience, and taste in selecting our theatrical productions."
--Walter Elias Disney

Guy · Post by **Guy** » Jul Tue 03, 2007 5:39 am

...this reminds me of that other forum entry where a mother left her children in one of the stage shows whilst she was called up to participate. The children misbehaved and everyone thought that the poor people sitting next to the children were incharge of them.... I agree, why do these people have children?

casrin · Post by **casrin** » Jul Tue 03, 2007 9:00 am

Holy moly. And the poor kid will probably grow up feeling terrified of Disney and everything else for the trauma she endured at her parents' hands.

Esmeralda · Post by **Esmeralda** » Jul Tue 03, 2007 9:37 am

I can't agree more with all the comments. Poor kid, I sure hope she's ok and that she finds a good home where she can be treated well. It's almost good this happened at Disney World where they are so quick to respond in such situations. At least it's good to hear that Disney took such good care of her.

Croaker · Post by **Croaker** » Jul Tue 03, 2007 10:18 am

Every trip my wife and i people watch in lines, restaurants, shows etc. it always amazes me how parents yell at their kids for mis-behaving and acting up while in Disney. Lets think about this....you bring a child to the closest thing they can equate to heaven, you feed them high sugar content foods then wonder why they hop around like Ferretts on Crack. People who take children that are stroller bound need to think before exposing themselves to the euphoric atmosphere and high content of Candyland that we call WDW. if you can't love your children before your own selfish entertainment, don't have them and if its to late, give them up please to someone that will love them first before their own desires.

ok got that out of my system. thanks!

lets not forget to get a Dole Whip!

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Jul Tue 03, 2007 10:25 am

Being a parent, I can not comprehend what these people were thinking. I glad to see Disney handled it so well. When we're in a crowd we don't let the boys out of are sight! They walked a way for an hour??? I think these people (I won't call them parents) need to be childless!!

Post by **js3901** » Jul Tue 03, 2007 8:03 pm

I think the Gene pool needs a little chlorine

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Jul Tue 03, 2007 8:59 pm

netslave wrote:The mother thought that the girl was sleeping in a second, covered stroller.

I read this on MP the other day and was disgusted in particular by this part. Even if she was sleeping in a covered stroller, you're gonna leave your kid ALONE while you go on a ride? Wth? I can only hope they left out the part that said 'thought she was sleeping in a second, covered stroller being watched by the father', but somehow I doubt it.

SimonTemplar · Post by **SimonTemplar** » Jul Tue 03, 2007 10:24 pm

Nonnie wrote:What I could do if I were on the jury...

I'd love to join you on that jury!!

It's stories like this that make me think people should have to fill out applications and pass neurological tests before they're allowed to have children. What morons !!!

netslave · Post by **netslave** » Jul Wed 04, 2007 12:42 am

I love the fact that the guy blatantly lied about watching the kid too. 2,500 bail wasn't enough.

casrin · Post by **casrin** » Jul Wed 04, 2007 6:33 pm

You have to wonder though about the "feeling" people have about being safe at Disney. I mean, why would you think that anything bad would happen at the "happiest place on Earth" if you're getting caught up in the moment?

Seriously, it's no excuse for bad parenting, but I think I could see how someone would just expect their daughter would be safe... just because they are at WDW.

Stranger things have happened right?

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Parents leave child in hot stroller, go to ride Pirates

Parents leave child in hot stroller, go to ride Pirates

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