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Scuba-clad man robs Disney Springs restaurant, swims away
By Nick Papantonis, WFTV.com
September 15, 2025 at 4:01 pm EDT
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Scuba-clad man robs Disney Springs restaurant, swims away Deputies are searching for a man they say robbed a popular Disney Springs restaurant by swimming up in scuba gear and a wetsuit and then swimming away.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Investigators are searching for a man they say robbed a popular Disney Springs restaurant by swimming up in scuba gear and a wetsuit and then swimming away after he stole thousands of dollars.
The robber hit the Paddlefish restaurant shortly after midnight Monday, after it closed to guests, according to a report released by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the man found a place to store his wet suit and scuba gear before walking into the manager’s office, where cash from the night was being counted and deposited into a safe.
The report shows the man forced two employees to go to the corner of the room and told them to close their eyes. The report is heavily redacted, but sources familiar with the investigation said he tied the employees up.
The man stole between $10,000 and $20,000, per the pending charge. The employees said he left within two minutes, and they called 911 after freeing themselves.
Neither of the employees were hurt and the man did not brandish any weapons, the report said.
After leaving the replica steamboat, investigators believe the man donned his scuba gear and jumped back into the pond. A search for the man immediately after the robbery was reported yielded no results.
A picture released by the agency showed the man appearing to spray paint a security camera. The employees described the man wearing tight clothing and a blue beanie. They said he was slim and approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall.
The owners of Paddlefish referred all questions to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office said the investigation was ongoing.
The restaurant opened as normal to guests at noon on Monday. There was no obvious signs of an increase in security around the Paddlefish, though the tourist attraction is normally under extremely tight security by Disney staff and sheriff’s deputies, much of which is not visible to the public.
With no weapons how can he make this happen other than it was an inside job. Only other way it could happen is if he was extremely brolic which he was not
bruh IDGAF.....I’m not fighting no robber over money that ain’t mine—especially if dude ain’t even violent. Lol, my job is to wash dishes or wait tables, not to suit up like I’m an Avenger lol.
