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Tilikum, a 5 tonne orca has killed it’s trainer by dragging her into the pool and thrashing her underwater. The event occurred at SeaWorld Orlando as the trainer, Dawn Brancheau was chatting with visitors after a show. Onlookers said the whale “thrashed her all around” and pulled her under the water.

Orlando authorities have reported that the veteran whale trainer “slipped and fell” into the tank but more than 50 eyewitnesses confirm that the incident was accident, the trainer was supposedly stroking the whale until it swam away and rushed back grabbing her its mouth and thrashing her violently underwater.

Brancheau, 40 and married, had over 14 years experience as a whale trainer and had previously spoken of the risks involved in her job, “You can’t put yourself in the water unless you trust them and they trust you.” Brancheau had been inspired to works has a whale trainer after a visit to SeaWorld as a child.

30 year old Tilikum, whose name means ‘fierce’ in the native Indian Chinook language, had reportedly acted abnormally and did not react to directions in an earlier show. Trainers had previously been forbidden from swimming with the animal because of its variable temper. Questions are being raised as to whether the 5 tonne killer whale should be allowed to continue working near humans as it is the third fatality he has been linked to.

Tilly was named as one of three whales linked to the death of a trainer at Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia In 1991 and in 1999 the body of Daniel Dukes was found in Tilly’s tank when policed had understood the man sneaked into the compound at night.

Dan Brown, SeaWorld’s General Manager, whilst trying to hold back tears, stated that the company’s safety procedures will be under scrutiny while the park remains closed and shows at their other shows are cancelled.

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