Sea World Trainer Death, Sea World Trainer Killed by Killer Whale, Seaworld Orlando Death, Killer Whale Attacks Trainer

Sea World Trainer Death, Sea World Trainer Killed by Killer Whale, Seaworld Orlando Death, Killer Whale Attacks Trainer

A veteran SeaWorld trainer in Florida was attacked and killed by a whale Wednesday afternoon just as a public show was set to begin — and the same whale is linked to another death in B.C.
SeaWorld spokesperson Fred Jacobs identified the whale that killed the 40-year-old trainer as spectators looked on in horror as Tilikum.
Tilikum, or “Tilly,” and two female whales drowned their trainer during a performance at Sealand of the Pacific, in British Columbia, in 1991. Part-time trainer Keltie Byrne died when she slipped and fell into the water and the whales would not let her get out.
SeaWorld Orlando President Dan Brown told reporters in a prepared statement that the trainer killed Wednesday was one of the park’s “most experienced.”
Brown said the park has initiated an investigation into the incident and would make the findings of that probe known “in due course.”
“I must emphasize that this is an extraordinarily difficult time for the SeaWorld parks and our team members,” Brown said. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our employees, guests and of the animals entrusted to our care. We have never in the history of our parks experienced an incident like this, and all of our standard operating procedures will come under review as part of this investigation.”
Jim Solomons of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said emergency services personnel responded to a call from Shamu Stadium around 2 p.m., and found the trainer fatally injured.
Solomons said it appears the trainer was in a whale holding area when she slipped or fell into the tank and was attacked by one of the whales.
However, local news reports say the trainer had just told the audience what they were about to see at the whale show when one of the whales leapt out of the water, grabbed her by the waist and thrashed her around in the water.
Victoria Biniak told Orlando’s WKMG’s Local 6 news that she witnessed the attack, which she described as “violent,” from the stadium’s viewing area.
“The trainer was explaining different things about the whale and then the trainer that was down there walked away from the window,” Biniak said. “Then (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.”
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