It was much easier, pre-technology, to rent a cabin on the shore of a cursed lake.
Used to be families could disappear, but you and your terrified community knew you could continue to appease the lake because westward expansion would continue to deliver new renters.
These days, you spend all your time politely responding to AirBnB reviews like “Thanks for the feedback about the missing children. We did mention that risk in our listing, but can offer a 10% rebooking discount for next time!”