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Seaworld Orlando Trainer Killed in Whale Attack by Jason Garcia, Susan Fore the Incident Occurred

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Seaworld Orlando Trainer Killed in Whale Attack by Jason Garcia, Susan Fore the Incident Occurred EWS 4 N THE AQUINAS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010 SeaWorld Orlando trainer killed in whale attack BY JASON GARCIA, SUSAN fore the incident occurred. JACobsoN, BIANCA PRIETO “It was terrible. It’s very difficult & AMY L. EDWARDS to see the image,” Sobrinho said. Brancheau was bleeding from McClatchy Newspapers the face or mouth, they said, and A SeaWorld Orlando animal the whale turned her over and trainer was killed Wednesday over as it swam. during an accident at SeaWorld’s Within minutes, an alarm in Shamu Stadium, park and law en- the viewing area sounded and se- forcement officials said. curity personnel arrived to escort Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old tourists out. with extensive training experi- “No panic, no panic” is what ence, drowned following a popular they said, Oliveira said in broken Dine with Shamu show as at least English. two dozen tourists looked on from About 20 visitors were also es- above a whale tank and from an corted out of the dining area, sev- underwater viewing area. eral diners told The Sentinel. SeaWorld executive Chuck Dine with Shamu is held twice Tompkins confirmed what wit- a day, according to the park. The nesses saw, that Brancheau was early show is at 12:30 p.m. The sec- pulled into the water by Tilikum, a ond show is held at 6:30 p.m. 12,000-pound male killer whale. “It is with great sadness that I Brancheau was finishing up a report that one of our most expe- session with Tilikum, the largest rienced animal trainers drowned whale in SeaWorld’s collection and in an incident with one of our its only mature male. killer whales this afternoon,” Sea- “We’re in the process of inves- World President Dan Brown said COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS tigating all of the people and the in a brief statement to reporters. DAWN BRANCHEAU, a whale trainer at SeaWorld Adventure Park, shown performing Dec. 30, animals,” Tompkins said. “We’ve initiated an investigation 2005, was killed in an accident with a killer whale at the SeaWorld Shamu Stadium in Orlando, Witnesses told The Orlando Sen- to determine, to the extent pos- Florida, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010. tinel that one of the park’s whales sible, what occurred.” grabbed the trainer by the upper Brancheau worked at the park said, his voice breaking slightly. said. kum had bit the man and tore off arm, disappeared underwater since February 1994. An Osceo- “We extend our deepest sympa- Tilikum has been involved in his swimming trunks, likely believ- and swam to the other side of the la County Sheriff’s deputy was thies to the family and friends of two deaths before. Nicknamed ing he was a toy to play with. tank. Tilikum thrashed Brancheau parked outside her home in St. the trainer and will do everything Tilly, he was blamed for a 1991 A former SeaWorld contractor around in the water as he swam Cloud and turned away any visi- possible to assist them in this dif- drowning of a trainer while he per- told The Sentinel that Tilikum is rapidly around in the whale pool. tors. ficult time.” formed at Sealand of the Pacific in typically kept isolated from Sea- Brazilian tourist Joao Lucio De- Brown said no SeaWorld park Orange County Fire Rescue per- British Columbia. World’s other killer whales and Costa Sobrinho, 28, and girlfriend had ever before experienced a sonnel arrived on the scene within In 1999, authorities discovered that trainers were not allowed to Talita Oliveira, 20, were at an un- similar incident and pledged a five minutes of receiving a 911 call the dead body of a naked man get in the water with him because derwater viewing area when they thorough review of all of the park’s for an unknown medical condition lying across his back. Authori- of his violent history. suddenly saw a whale with some- standard operating procedures. just prior to 2 p.m., a spokesman ties concluded the man, who had SeaWorld has had incidents one in its mouth. “This is an extraordinarily dif- said. Brancheau was dead when either snuck into SeaWorld after with its killer whales in the past. The couple said they watched ficult time for the SeaWorld parks rescue officials arrived. hours or hidden in the park until In 2005, a trainer was injured by the whale show at the park two and our team members. Nothing is The Occupational Safety and it closed, most likely drowned af- what park officials called an “over- days earlier and came back to take more important than the safety of Health Administration dispatched ter suffering hypothermia in the ly excited” whale that bumped the pictures. But Wednesday afternoon our employees, guests and the ani- an investigator from Tampa to 55-degree water. trainer during a live performance. the whales appeared agitated be- mals entrusted to our care,” Brown investigate, an OSHA spokesman They also said it appeared Tili- The injuries were minor. Philosophy Cafe Senior Portrait Retakes “The Morality of Copyright in the 21st Century” Monday, March 4 presented by Kevin Noredberg, Ph.D. in The DeNaples Center Room 214 Tuesday March 2, 2010 - 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. at Aroma Cafe Contact Tatiana Person at [email protected] Sponsored by Phi Sigma Tau Honor Society Attention Sophomores & Juniors! Urban Beats and The Scranton Dance Team Present: FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR SUMMER INTERNSHIPS IN SOREAL CRU PUBLIC POLICY IS AVAILABLE SoReal Cru, finalist from Season 2 of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew will be coming to The University Feb. 26, 2010. 2010 Scully Scholars Award: $6,000 Mark Fucanan, Brian Fucana and Ailyn Isidro of SoReal Cru will be coming to run a workshop at The University in The Byron Complex. SCULLY SCHOLARS PROGRAM: Provides full-time University of Scranton students with financial assistance to pursue summer internships in public policy and to honor the memory of long-time professor of history and political science, Timothy H. Scully. Feb. 26, 2010 Ticket Sales For questions or more information, please contact: 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Feb. 25, 2010 Meg Hambrose The Byron Complex 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. O’Hara Hall 503 [email protected] $10 Students with ID The DeNaples Center 941-4262 $15 General Admission Deadline: March 31, 2010 The Aquinas Classifieds Copy Editors Needed! Explore the wonderous world of AP style every Wednesday at $1.00 - One Classified Space The Aquinas office located in the Student Forum. Why bother with eBay? Sell your stuff here! Contact: [email protected] The Aquinas reserves the right to alter or delete inappropriate content..
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