Dawn Brancheau a Sea World Trainer killed by The Killer Orca Whale at a Sea World in Orlando. A 16-year veteran trainer at the animal park, drowned in a water tank stadium while stunned tourists watched, Orange County Sheriff’s spokesman Jim Solomons said. Witness Victoria Biniak said she saw the deadly incident from a viewing area. “The trainer was explaining different things about the whale and then the trainer that was down there walked away from the window. Then Telly (the whale) took off really fast in the tank and he came back, shot up in the air, grabbed the trainer by the waist and started thrashing (her) around,” Biniak said. “He was thrashing her around pretty good. It was violent”.
SeaWorld officials halted the Dine with Shamu show and escorted viewers from the area. SeaWorld also suspended its killer whale show at its San Diego facility.
The 30-year-old killer whale, named Tilikum, was one of three orcas blamed for killing a trainer who fell into a pool in 1991 at Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia, the AP reported, quoting SeaWorld spokesman Fred Jacobs.
The same animal, nicknamed “Tilly,” was involved in the 1999 death of a man who sneaked past Orlando SeaWorld security and remained in the park after it had closed. His body was found draped over Tilly. An autopsy ruled that he died of hypothermia.
Dan Brown, manager of the Orlando park, gave few details and declined to answer questions when he appeared briefly before reporters after Brancheau’s death.
“One of our most experienced trainers drowned in an incident with one of the killer whales,” he said.
Solomons said investigators consider it “an accidental death” and are continuing to investigate.
Brazilian tourist Joao Lucio DeCosta Sobrinho, 28, and his girlfriend Talita Oliveira, 20, told The Orlando Sentinel that they were at an underwater viewing area when they saw a killer whale with someone in its mouth. They said that Brancheau was bleeding from the face or mouth and that the orca turned her over as it swam.
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