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Jason Garcia of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. SeaWorld looked at rising pool floors and "spare air" systems in an attempt to get their staff back in the water during shows. It is still not known what triggered Tilikum to attack that day. According to witnesses who had worked with Tilikum, he was known as "possessive," or an animal that would not release items once he had them. [44], Although Brancheau's widower, Scott Brancheau, hired a Chicago law firm that specializes in wrongful-death litigation, he has not taken any legal action against SeaWorld. 12-1375 SeaWorld of Florida, LLC, Petitioner v. Thomas E. Perez, Secretary, United States Department of Labor", "SeaWorld trainer killed by killer whale", "Killer whale Tilikum to be spared after drowning trainer by ponytail", "Sea World trainer killed: Shamu Believe show resumes with standing ovation", "30-minute nightmare in orca's death grip", "Tilikum is dead, but his story lives on", "SeaWorld trainer 'dragged to death by her long hair', "New details emerge in death of SeaWorld Orlando trainer in orca incident", "Hundreds Turn Out for SeaWorld Trainer's Funeral", "SeaWorld fights fine over trainer's death", "SeaWorld appeal of OSHA citations denied", "SeaWorld won't appeal ruling pulling trainers from water at killer whale shows", "SeaWorld's whale pool is no place for trainers", "Sea World Just Took a Blow That Will Change the Controversial Company Forever", "Exclusive: SeaWorld Appeals Ruling in Trainer's Death as Eyewitness Interviews Are Released", "OSHA fines SeaWorld for worker safety issues following orca trainer's death", "SeaWorld-OSHA hearing in recess until mid-November", "SeaWorld Will Fight $75k Fine in Trainer Dawn Brancheau's Death", "SeaWorld OSHA ruling: Judge rules SeaWorld killer-whale trainers must be protected by physical barriers", "Killer whales: Court weighs lifting ban on trainer-orca contact", "What the case of a killer whale tells us about Brett Kavanaugh", "SCOTUS Nominee Kavanaugh Backed SeaWorld in Case Involving 2010 Trainer Death", "Years of troubled waters for SeaWorld's killer whale shows", "SeaWorld trainer's family hires lawyers", "After SeaWorld, a 'Blackfish effect' on circuses and zoos? When SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau was pulled into a swim tank by an orca named Tilikum at the tail end of a performance on February 24, 2010, the other trainers immediately knew the situation was very bad. Welsch did, however, agree that the fine classification was too severe and had it downgraded from "willful" (total of $75,000 for the 2 citations) to "serious" (total of $12,000) stating that the company had emphasized trainer safety, even if the safety procedures weren't effective. The report states that Brancheau was horribly bruised, cut, and scraped, with her left elbow and knee being dislocated, along with multiple broken bones, including her ribs, jaw and neck. Through the reinforced glass, Dawn's peril played out like a real time horror film as the 5.4 tonne whale began to drown her. The 40-year-old trainer was at ease with the killer whale and had just petted him on the nose. He added that he believed that she had a broken neck. Her death was ruled an accident, and toxicology tests found no drugs in her system. One of her SeaWorld colleagues is certain she "loved" the 12,000-pound orca and that he loved her back. [61] The foundation is "dedicated to improving the lives of children and animals in need, inspiring others to follow their dreams, and promoting the importance of community service".[62]. [4][5][11][12] She graduated from the University of South Carolina with degrees in psychology and animal behavior. [4][6][7] She was killed by an orca, Tilikum. A police report written after Dawn Brancheau's death paints a horrifying picture of her final moments, describing how she frantically swam for her life as she was mauled, thrown and bashed by a 5.4 tonne whale, Don't miss a thing! "I truly believe he looked at Dawn as an object, a toy," he said. Dawn Brancheau was an experienced marine trainer at SeaWorld, pictured here in 2005, (Image: Tribune News Service via Getty Images), Dawn was pulled in to the pool from a concrete ledge, similar to this, Dawn Brancheau with a killer whale called Nalani, a year before her death, The body of Dawn Brancheau can be seen under a black sheet - Tilikum is in the pool next to her, Dawn rides on th back of a whale during one SeaWorld show. Some witness said he shook her "violently"on occasion. Emily Atack won't stop accepting sexy TV roles despite cruel online trolls, The Inbetweeners actress and comedian Emily Atack has vowed to keep accepting racy on-screen roles despite the horrific abuse she's received from online abusers, Police hunt for East London gang setting foxes on fire with 'lighter fluid', The sickening criminals have reportedly been torturing foxes, setting them on fire, and smoking out their dens with police are appealing for more information from the public. Amy L. Edwards can be reached at aledwards@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5735. Cloud, FL, formerly of Cedar Lake, IN, passed away February 24, 2010 doing what she loved. to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way. [33] SeaWorld discontinued water work at its three parks for about a week immediately after Martnez's death. [59] Dawn's death is one of the main features in documentary Blackfish, which questions the morality of keeping intelligent and dangerous marine predators in unnatural conditions, breaking up family pods and stopping them from acting naturally. . Next, she claimed he "looped around and came back towards Dawn Brancheau with his mouth open". She tried to get it free but Tilikum wouldn't let go. Stay up to date on the latest vegan trends and get breaking animal rights news delivered straight to your inbox! The orca's was so violent with Brancheau that part of her scalp was "forcibly torn from the head," the autopsy said. Henry Pierson Curtis can be reached at hcurtis@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5257.MORE ON THIS STORY 1991: Bringing killer whale to SeaWorld Orlando after death of trainer in Canada stirred debate in D.C. 1999: Nude man found dead on back of killer whale 1999: Parents of nude man drop lawsuit 2005: Killer whale jolts trainer Inside the brain of a killer whale: How smart are killer whales and can they decide to kill a person? [48], Her family has said they are grateful that the film has brought attention to the issue of animal welfare. New in the final report was: A synopsis of a 24-minute surveillance video, which began at 1:37 p.m., about one minute before the orca grabbed Brancheau. One witness said she saw Dawn "scrambling" to get out of the water, and Tilikum swim straight towards her and "impact her squarely in the chest". Cloud, FL, formerly of Cedar Lake, IN, passed away Feb. 24 . The incident was documented in the 2013 film Blackfish. At the bottom of the pool was the Dine with Shamu area, where people could eat lunch and watch the orca show. [59], The Dawn Brancheau Foundation was created by her family in Brancheau's honor. The effect the 23-foot-long killer whale had on the 5'7, 123 pound trainer was fully detailed in her autopsy report. [6]:7[27] Immediately afterwards, SeaWorld disallowed trainers from being in the water with any orca. According to one of SeaWorlds own employees, the event was unpredictable and the orca gave no indication that he was about to grab her. March 31, 2010— -- SeaWorld's killer whale Tilikum broke its trainer's jaw, fractured part of her vertebra and dislocated one of her elbows and a knee while thrashing her around its pool, according to an autopsy released today. Was the park using this time to remove witnesses whose accounts didnt match the story that SeaWorld was trying to create to make it seem as if her ponytail had triggered Tilikums reaction? Dawn, an experienced SeaWorld trainer, died of 'drowning and traumatic injuries' after she was mauled by Tilikum, a 5.4 tonne orca measuring more than 22ft in length. Former SeaWorld trainer Jeffrey Ventre blamed Tilikum for Brancheaus death, but the truth begins with the wild orcas capture near Iceland in 1983. "There is no constitutional right to voyeurism and there is a constitutional right to privacy," Mills said. Transcripts of witness statements and a preliminary report of the death were released previously. At around 1pm they were waiting patiently to take photos of the 22-foot long apex predator doing a dive, which usually happened after a little bit of coaxing from Dawn. Dawn Brancheau developed a "close bond" with a SeaWorld orca called Tilikum. To retrieve the dead trainer's whistle from the bottom. The agency cited SeaWorld for multiple violations and demanded that the company stop putting trainers at risk by making them interact with orcas during shows. It might have been an unusual dream for a girl from landlocked Indiana but . In the OCSO Investigative Report, witnesses said that at first she was "scrambling" to get out of the pool, but within seconds Tilikum struck her, at least one time impacting Brancheau "squarely in the chest." When her death was announced, former and current trainers were astonished that she had been the one killed. [11][12] Away from work, she volunteered at a local animal shelter,[4] looked after two chocolate Labradors,[13] and kept a variety of stray ducks, chickens, rabbits, and small birds at her home. Brancheau suffered a fracture to part of her vertebra and lower jaw, according to the autopsy. It took nearly two hours to retrieve her body, orca gave no indication that he was about to grab her. CCTV from the park showed Dawn entering the water at 13:38. Subscribe for new episodes. Tilikum the orca, infamous for killing two people previously in marine water parks, dragged SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau into a swim tank on February 24, 2010. Per the report, Brancheau was badly bruised, cut, and scraped. The OnlyFans model and Twitch streamer's Estonian stalker is back, attempting to break in before leaving a mysterious box and key at the front door of her home. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, "Read family-written obituary of Dawn Brancheau, SeaWorld trainer killed by killer whale", "Family, friends remember light that SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau provided", "Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission OSHRC, Docket No. ORLANDO, Fla. A SeaWorld Orlando trainer attacked by a killer whale died of drowning and blunt-force trauma to her head, neck and torso, an autopsy released Wednesday showed. Tilikum remains at SeaWorld Orlando. He waited at least 30 minutes before Brancheau was freed from Tilikum's jaws. [12][55], After its release in 2013, the film awakened a national dialogue about the issue. Employees used nets and threw food in the water in an attempt to distract him. But as Lynne Schaber waited for the whale to come to the window, she saw "him pull her in.". An attorney for Brancheau's family, Jon Mills, argued that the family's right to privacy outweighed the public's right to view the video. Dawn Brancheau was a Sea World trainer who worked with various whales at Sea World Orlando. It marked the third time the animal, named Tilikum, had been involved in a human death. [58][47] In March of 2016, SeaWorld announced it was discontinuing its program of breeding captive orcas[46][47][50][51][53] and was partnering with the Humane Society of the United States to work against commercial whaling and seal hunts, shark finning, and ocean pollution and increase its focus on rescue operations.