ORLANDO, Florida — 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 after he stole thousands of dollars, according to our sister station, WFTV-9 TV.
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The robber hit the Paddlefish restaurant shortly after midnight Monday, after it closed to guests, according to a report released by the sheriff’s office.
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Deputies said the man found a place to store his wetsuit 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 is accused of stealing between $10,000 and $20,000, according to the pending charge. The employees said he left within two minutes, and they called 911 after freeing themselves, according to WFTV-9.
Neither of the employees was 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, WFTV-9 reported.
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 were 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.
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