SeaWorld Trainer Dawn Brancheau Killed by Orca
Dawn Brancheau, a 16-year whale trainer, was killed by one of the killer whales at SeaWorld in Orlando on Wednesday afternoon. The 40-year-old was interacting with Tilikum, who is a 30-year-old male weighing in at 5 tons, when she was pulled into the water by her ponytail.
Authorities have reported that the killer whale trainer was drowned after receiving multiple traumatic injuries. Park visitors actually saw what happened, as they were viewing the tank from underground and watching Brancheau interact with Tilikum right after a show.
At first police thought that Brancheau had just fallen into the pool by mistake, but after witnesses gave their account of what happened, it was discovered that Tilikum grabbed her hair and pulled her in. In a police statement, they say that all the evidence and statements from the witnesses indicate that this was simply a tragic accident and no foul play was involved.
Many people would question why someone didn’t help Brancheau, but the sheriff’s office explained that her colleagues couldn’t jump into the pool to help her because Tilikum has an aggressive nature. So they had to first coax the killer whale into a smaller pool and lift him from the water before recovering her. It’s also been reported that this orca has been linked to deaths in 1991 and 1999.
Initially there was speculation on whether the park would keep Tilikum or not, but they have now said that they will continue working with him. However, all of the shows at SeaWorld in Orlando, as well as San Diego, have been indefinitely suspended.