Wednesday, a trainer at SeaWorld at the Orlando, Florida location was killed by one of the whales. It occurred just before a 2 pm performance on Wednesday. The trainer fell into the tank and was picked by the whale and flung around until she apparently drowned, according to a live CNN report.
The trainer was a woman, 40, and pronounced dead immediately afterwards.
A SeaWorld spokesman said: that "she apparently slipped or fell into the tank and was fatally injured by one of the whales," the spokesman said. More information is expected to be released soon.
WKMG’s Victoria Biniak said that she watched the incident happen from a viewing area nearby.
"The trainer was explaining different things about the whale, and then the trainer that was down there walked away from the window. 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," Biniak said.
The bull orca whale involved is named Tilikum or Telly and has been involved in two other deaths in the last 20 years, one of which was a trainer. It is about 30 years old and weighs 12,300-pound.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported that in November of 2006, a trainer was bitten and held underwater by a 7,000-pound whale during a SeaWorld performance in San Diego. He survived with only a broken foot.
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Comments
Free the whales!
If a dog kills ANYONE it is Euthenized.. death to a killer..Whales included
really, we know their not going to Euthanize it nor free it, come on guys grow up she new of the danger. this stuff happens just like the Luger indecent yes their tragic but they new what they were in for.
Arent those whales supposed to be trained ?
they should kill it, im sorry but its fear.
it's tuna time
but honestly people, the whale was kept in a 15 foot deep tank for months and months. tilikum was mainly used for breeding. how happy of a whale do you think he is staying in a 15 foot deep pool that he can barley swim in all day. its going to happen due to the frusteration of the whales. whales cannot be kept in captivity and be happy at the same time.. tilikum was involved in three other killings and if this is a hereditary issue his agressive genes are just being passed to the new calves he is giving life to year after year...
oh and lola, are dogs in any danger of going extinct in the near future? it sortta makes a difference. you keep a whale in a small tank and expect it to me happy? you are more foolish than the people that own seaworld themselves
all your comments are great but i have to agree with michele and branden . I mean what if you were a whale and you were captured and forced to do tricks and stunts. That would not be a good life i supose. i understand that the whales bring amusement to the children and adults but on the other hand the trainers know what they are in for when the agree to work there . im not saying it right that Telly killed the woman but he is most likely sad, homesick , or upset . i would be too if i were a whale and away from my natural habbitat ! whales are animals and deserve a say so in rather they want to perform or live a normal whale life.
all your comments are great but i have to agree with michele and branden . I mean what if you were a whale and you were captured and forced to do tricks and stunts. That would not be a good life i supose. i understand that the whales bring amusement to the children and adults but on the other hand the trainers know what they are in for when the agree to work there . im not saying it right that Telly killed the woman but he is most likely sad, homesick , or upset . i would be too if i were a whale and away from my natural habbitat ! whales are animals and deserve a say so in rather they want to perform or live a normal whale life.
*after the word stunts its supose to say that would not be your idea of living now would it
Also , dont forget that they are whales and should be swimming around in nthe fresh salt water that is 100s of feet deep . If we continue putting whales out of their habbitat then they're gonna become extinct !! and nobody wants that so .... FREEEEE THEEEE WHALESSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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