Scuba-Suited Bandit Hits Disney Springs Restaurant, Swims Off With Thousands
Background: Paddlefish restaurant at Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida (WFTV/YouTube). Inset: A man in scuba gear who allegedly robbed the establishment (Orange County Sheriff's Office).
Authorities in Florida are searching for a man who allegedly carried out a daring late-night robbery at a restaurant in Disney Springs — and then escaped by swimming away in scuba gear.
The incident took place around 12:20 a.m. Monday at Paddlefish, a restaurant located on a replica paddleboat in the Disney Springs shopping and dining district in Orlando. According to a heavily redacted police report obtained by Law&Crime, the restaurant had closed for the night and employees were finishing up when the suspect burst into the manager’s office.
Wearing a blue beanie, black mask, and a wetsuit — and notably barefoot — the man reportedly forced several employees into a corner and ordered them to keep their eyes shut while he targeted the restaurant’s safe.
Local outlet WFTV reports the suspect tied up some employees before stealing between $10,000 and $20,000 in cash. Surveillance footage captured him spray-painting a camera to obscure his identity. Fortunately, no one was physically harmed during the robbery, and the restaurant was empty of customers at the time.
After grabbing the cash, the man allegedly donned his scuba gear, jumped into the nearby water, and swam away. The entire robbery lasted just two minutes, according to investigators.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has yet to identify or apprehend the suspect.
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