For years, if families wanted to enjoy a great water park, they had to either wait until the summer months or travel to a state with warm weather year-round. They also had to hope that the weather cooperated when they were visiting, or a whole day would be wasted sitting inside. However, that all changed with the opening of the first Great Wolf Lodge in 1997.
There are now more than twenty Great Wolf Lodge locations around the country, while two more are under construction, including the first Great Wolf Lodge in England.
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Great Wolf Lodge is so much more than just an indoor water park, it is an entire vacation experience wrapped up in one stunning hotel. Guests can not only enjoy an amazing water park, but the hotels also have great restaurants, spas, arcades, and various activities for younger guests.
Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a fun family getaway turned into a horrifying experience for one family who traveled to the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, Virginia.
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Deputies with the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office told local news outlets that a family was vacationing at the resort when a man tried to “lure” a seven-year-old boy out of the swimming pool. When the boy tried to leave the chair he was sitting in, the man reportedly grabbed the boy’s arm and forced him back into the chair.
Thankfully, after three tries, the boy was able to escape and was found and helped by a Great Wolf Lodge employee.
According to deputies with the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office, the child’s family and lodge staff reported that a male suspect tried to lure the child away from the pool area. When the child attempted to leave, the suspect allegedly prevented the child from doing so. The suspect left the pool area following the incident.
Deputies reviewed surveillance footage from the lodge and identified the suspect as Travis Andrew Bright, a 46-year-old guest from Greenville, North Carolina. Bright was subsequently located and arrested.
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Mr. Bright is being charged with felony abduction of a minor and misdemeanor assault and battery. If convicted on the felony charge, Bright could spend up to 20 years in prison. While Bright did not remove the boy from the pool area, he did try to prevent the boy from leaving and going back to his family, which qualifies as an abduction.
He is being held at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail. He appeared in court on Thursday and was denied bond, meaning he must remain in jail until his trial. Bright was reportedly visiting the resort with his family and, while a breathalyzer test was not administered, police said that alcohol might have played a factor.
He is set to appear in court again on August 28.
Have you and your family ever visited a Great Wolf Lodge? Have you always felt safe while visiting the hotel and its water parks and other amenities? Are you concerned that something like this could happen again? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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