Business

Scuba gear-clad man swims up and steals $20,000 from Disney restaurant

By Jessica Kwong

Copyright metro

Scuba gear-clad man swims up and steals $20,000 from Disney restaurant

A man wearing a wetsuit and scuba gear allegedly stole $10,000 to $20,000 from the Paddlefish restaurant in Florida (Picture: Orange County Sheriff’s Office)

A man donning scuba gear and a wetsuit allegedly swam up to a Walt Disney World Resort restaurant and made off with up to $20,000 in cash.

The man found a place to put his scuba equipment and walked up to the manager’s office inside Paddlefish restaurant at Disney Springs in Florida just after midnight Monday, according to a report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

He forced two employees to a corner in the room and demanded that they close their eyes, states the report obtained by WFTV.

The suspect tied up both workers, sources told the TV station.

The Paddlefish restaurant is inside a ‘modern steamboat’ at Disney Springs in Lake Buena Vista, Florida (Picture: Google)

He stole $10,000 to $20,000, according to his pending charge.

It all happened within two minutes, said the employees, who managed to free themselves and call 911. The workers were not hurt, and the thief did not show any weapons, according to the report.

‘This incident occurred after the restaurant was closed, and there were no patrons present,’ stated the sheriff’s office.

The suspect left the restaurant, which is in a steamboat-like structure on a pond, and is believed to have slipped back into the water.

Authorities released a photo of a suspect wearing a scuba diving hood or blue beanie, goggles, a wetsuit and gloves. He is described as 5-foot-10 and slim, and appeared to be spray painting a CCTV camera.

The man remains at large and an investigation is ongoing.

Despite the crime, the restaurant opened for business at midday the same day.

The Paddlefish is ‘aboard a reimagined, modern, and luxurious steamboat’ at Disney Springs, an outdoor dining, shopping and entertainment complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista.

‘Paddlefish is the perfect vessel for a memorable dining experience, post-dinner roofdeck libations, or a crisp refresher to pair with your meal,’ states its website.

It happened a year-and-a-half after a doctor died at another restaurant in Disney Springs, the Raglan Road Irish Pub, after eating food that staff allegedly claimed did not contain nuts and dairy allergens.

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