[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Of course we must exercise judgement when in areas where there are gators, but some people become a bit paranoid about them as well. There have been 18 fatal alligator attacks in the past 40 years in Florida and eleven of them involved people swimming, wading or snorkeling in the water with gators close by. I don;t think that there is any danger on the LSL boardwalk. Gators are not going to jump the ten feet or so up from the water. Yes, I would discourage kids from dangling their arms, but other then that, I believe that it's perfectly safe.
This poor kid was swimming in an area close to Lake Okeechobee where there are thousands of gators. Most gator have been removed from residential areas like the Villages. Occasionally, very occasionally a gator gets in to a residential area, but those instances are rare. Just use a little common sense and stay away from areas where they are known to hang out.