"He had a great relationship with her, and she had a great relationship with him. An autopsy ruled that he died of hypothermia in the 50-degree water. [4][6][7] She was killed by an orca, Tilikum. SeaWorld paramedic Thomas Tobin was quick to arrive at the sea, and was there for "three to four minutes" without seeing Dawn reach the surface. "He had a great relationship with her, and she had a great relationship with him. Upon applying for the permit, SeaWorld hadnt even looked at the incident report about the Sealand trainers death, and after being urged by the NMFS to do so, SeaWorld attributed the previous attack to a design flaw at Sealand. Dawn Brancheau Autopsy Report Uploaded by Tim Zimmermann Description: The Orange County Medical Examiner's Autopsy Report on Dawn Brancheau Copyright: Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC) Available Formats Download as PDF or read online from Scribd Flag for inappropriate content Save 45% 55% Embed Share Print Download now of 8 Related Interests The medical examiner reports that no drugs or alcohol were found in Dukes' system. Dawn's long hair floated on the water in to Tilikum's mouth.". While living her dream, she was a source of inspiration and joy to her family and friends. In 2010, she was tragically killed by Tilikum, the largest Killer Whale held in captivity. Twenty minutes later, her body was retrieved from the pool. [26], No SeaWorld trainer entered a pool to perform a show with an orca following Brancheau's death. At just 2 years old, he was torn from his mother and their ocean home and sent to the rundown marine park Sealand of the Pacific. On Wednesday, a SeaWorld official said Tilikum had often displayed possessive behavior in the past, at times refusing to relinquish his toys. On February 24, 2010, Brancheau performed a 'Dine with Shamu' show with Tilikum,[17] the largest orca at SeaWorld Orlando. The autopsy was released as SeaWorld and Brancheau's family await a court ruling on their request to keep private a video of the fatal attack. It is the first minute-by-minute account of the accident. Cloud, FL, formerly of Cedar Lake, IN, passed away February 24, 2010 doing what she loved. SeaWorld review to study how close is too close for a killer-whale trainer Killer-whale experts say: Reintroduce Tilikum to the wild, Amy L. Edwards and Henry Pierson Curtis and Orlando Sentinel. She also dislocated her left elbow and left ear. Staff "asked for control" by slapping the water, but Tilikum ignored them, and became more agitated the more people tried to get Dawn from his jaws, "thrashing violently back and forth". SeaWorld successfully challenged the report, which OSHA agreed to withdraw. 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? Outside the pool, paramedic Thomas Tobin watched and waited for three or four minutes but didn't see anyone surface. Tilikum has been involved twice before in human deaths. The optical illusion will leave you stumped as it's asking people to spot the ghost hiding inside the room. [18][19][20] The incident was caught on film. Dawn, a senior trainer at SeaWorld, had studied psychology and animal behaviours at university. It ended with the violent death of 40-year-old Dawn Brancheau, who worked there for 15 years. The autopsy determined that Dawn Brancheau died of blunt force trauma to the head, neck and torso, and drowning when the giant orca yanked her into SeaWorld's pool Feb. 24. A homicide inquest found that the whales had prevented Byrne from climbing out of the tank and ruled her death an accident. [4][5][11][12] She graduated from the University of South Carolina with degrees in psychology and animal behavior. The park imposed the restrictions while it reviews its killer whale safety protocols. As Dawn Brancheau lay next to Tilikum, petting him in just a few inches of water, she likely had no reason to suspect that she was about to be torn apart. The court amplified this, aligning itself with the OSHA expert witness: "Dr. Duffus stated, '[T]he training program that SeaWorld uses is influential. To retrieve the dead trainer's whistle from the bottom. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights? READ MORE, Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA President and co-author of Animalkind. 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! As PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk states, These were not love bites, but the vented fury of an angry and frustrated being who has been deprived of everything in life: family, friends, freedomall for the sake of human profit and a few giggles.. Topoleski, a trainer for SeaWorld Orlando, turned to push an alarm. Dawn Therese Brancheau, 40, of St. [40] Given the court rulings, even after 2010, although water work during shows stopped, SeaWorld trainers still entered the water with orcas during "safety desensitization training" and for other care. This was a brutal end to a womans life who had dreamt of working closely with marine mammals as a SeaWorld trainer, ever since she saw the Shamu show as a child. Hence, she earned degrees in psychology and animal behavior from the 'University of South Carolina.' When her death was announced, former and current trainers were astonished that she had been the one killed. The killer whale snatched the 40-year-old trainer from a poolside platform in its jaws and thrashed her around underwater, killing her in front of a horrified audience Feb. 24. [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]. It is still not known what triggered Tilikum to attack that day. Dawn Brancheau - Autopsy Reports of Celebrities and Other Famous . According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office Investigative Report on the terrifying incident, trainers were not allowed in the water with Tilikum because of his past history he had already killed two people at other marine parks when they ended up in the pool with him, per Whale Sanctuary Project. SeaWorld has removed Tilikum from its daily shows and ordered its trainers to keep their distance from the animal. Delivering what was perhaps the most horrific detail of all, the report told how Dawn arrived at the morgue in two parts - her battered, broken body totally disconnected from her scalp. The trainer struggled for 21 seconds before the orca held her in his mouth and swam underwater. Her left elbow and left knee were dislocated. Text UGLY to 73822 to tell UGGs to choose vegan materials and stop supporting the mutilation and violent killing of sheep! Cloud, formerly of Cedar Lake, Ind., passed away February 24, 2010 doing what she loved. That they had a relationship built on trust made the events of their final meeting . But when he looked back, 5ft 1ins Dawn was nowhere to be seen. Dawn Therese Brancheau, nee Lo Verde, 40, of St. He added that he believed that she had a broken neck. Dukes. [33] In September 2006, Brancheau had worked temporarily at Loro Parque and reportedly enjoyed working with Martnez. She tried to get it free but Tilikum wouldn't let go. After years of performing eight shows a day, seven days a week, Tilikum dragged Sealand trainer Keltie Byrne to the bottom of the pool, where he and the other orcas stripped her of all her clothing and left bite marks and bruises on her skin. He was swimming manically, only coming to the surface long enough to breathe before diving again. Here's why", "The Dawn Brancheau Foundation: 6 years after her death", "Dawn Brancheau Foundation | Helping Children and Animals", The Dawn Brancheau Foundation official website, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dawn_Brancheau&oldid=1139241330, Deaths due to animal attacks in the United States, Burials at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery (Alsip, Illinois), Articles with dead external links from November 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from November 2017, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 03:07. Dutch tourist Susanne De Wit witnessed the death of Dawn Brancheau, who had worked at the resort for 15 years, back in 2010. . To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here. Seaworld-Orlando-Shamu-1510 | David R. Tribble | CC BY-SA 3.0. Dawn Therese Brancheau, 40, of St. 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." Cloud, Florida Dawn Therese Brancheau, nee Lo Verde, 40, of St. [1][11] She set her heart on becoming a Shamu trainer during a family vacation to Orlando. [17] The autopsy concluded that Dukes' cause of death was drowning. Tilikum, a male or bull whale, has lived at the park since 1992, and is the largest of SeaWorld's eight killer whales. Usually a SeaWorld staffer would signal that they were "ready" for the huge marine beast to dive down so that tourists could snap photos through the glass. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. Trainer Dawn Brancheau died of blunt force trauma to head, neck and torso. SeaWorld patrons quickly were ushered out of the area and workers tried to corral Tilikum, but by the time they retrieved Brancheau's body she was dead. So was her left arm. Even after her body had been retrieved from the water, Tilikum was antagonistic and appeared to keep attempting to get it. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. By submitting this form, you are agreeing to our collection, storage, use, and disclosure of your personal info in accordance with our privacy policy as well as to receiving e-mails from us. Local government investigators and OSHA had obtained SeaWorld's video surveillance footage, which captured her death, as well as photographs, which showed the effects of the attack. His sperm was used to father over half the orcas at SeaWorlds parks, even though he killed three humans. While living her dream, she was a source of inspiration and . [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. When her death was announced, former and current trainers were astonished that she had been the one killed. 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. She was cautious and always abided by the park's "safety" guidelines when she was around the orcas. When defending the actions of Tilikum on the sad day that Dawn Brancheau died . Eventually they enticed him in to a smaller medical pool where he eventually let go of her body. The cause of death listed for Brancheau was drowning and traumatic injuries. "[8], Welsch made it clear that his ruling only applies "to the work trainers do during shows and not at other times, such as during medical procedures or 'relationship-building' sessions As a custodian SeaWorld has an ethical duty to provide for the whales' needs husbandry activities require a certain amount of contact between the trainers and whales unlike performances, which can successfully continue without the trainers in the water." Yet it cannot remove the element of unpredictability inherent in working with killer whales. "[16]:24. The 41-year-old was snatched and dragged into the water during a live show so quickly that no one saw it happening - not . But during one well practised segment, where she lay down to kiss the huge 30-year-old mammal, he grabbed her, dragging her in to the pool and under the water. PETA is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corporation. Published on 12/11/2014 at 6:04 PM. [33], On August 23, 2010, SeaWorld was fined US$75,000 by OSHA for three safety violations, one directly related to Brancheau's death. When he turned back, his colleague was gone. Laura Surovik, assistant curator of animal training at SeaWorld and Brancheau's best friend, told a detective she thought Tilikum was holding Brancheau "as if she was his possession." [8][35], The court made clear that while SeaWorld's expert, "Mr Andrews concludes his report by stating, 'My expert opinion is that SeaWorld can safely allow trainers to closely interact with killer whales, including waterwork, with the administrative and engineering controls that existed prior to February 24, 2010' (Exh. The gory details of Dawn Brancheaus death are further evidence that animals who are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them throughout their entire miserable lives in sea parks, circuses, and zoos around the world will continue to attack and kill people whom they see as having a role in the denial of their freedom and family connections. Jason Garcia of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Inspired as a child after seeing a Shamu show, Brancheau knew at an early age that she wanted to perform with the whales. However, on this occasion, the ban was solidified by an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) intervention. As a family, they've built playgrounds for local communities, planted community gardens, sponsored youth development programmes , helped low-resource areas with tutoring and counselling, supported charities and supplied personal care products to . She was cautious and always abided by the parks safety guidelines when she was around the orcas. Perhaps most importantly, why did SeaWorlds then-owner try to blame his own orca trainer for her deatheven after the OSHA investigation uncovered that the same safety measures and recall signals that had failed to prevent Dawn Brancheaus death had been failing for years? He added that he watched as she struggled to free her hair from the orca's mouth. Maybe nottrainers were expected to continue performances, regardless of any signs that an orca might act out. Trainer Lynne Schaber told investigators she knew Brancheau was in trouble when Tilikum pulled her into the water because the killer whale "normally keeps things that he has and will not release them." The orca held on to Brancheau by various parts of her body and shook her vigorously, only surfacing to breathe, while avoiding other trainers who tried to control him. 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". Despite massive public relations efforts on SeaWorlds part to smooth over the incidenti.e., death by killer whaleby characterizing it as play that went a bit wrong, the autopsy shows that Tilly was not in the mood for affection. Dawn Brancheau, a trainer at SeaWorld Adventure Park who died in a savage attack by one of the park's killer whales in Februaary, is shown while performing in 2005. Since Brancheau's death, Tilikum has been removed from SeaWorld's show and new protocols keep trainers away from the whale. Celebrate the life of Dawn Brancheau, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of . The report claims "Tilikum the whale could clearly be seen at the edge of 'D' pool. DAWN THERESE BRANCHEAU (nee Lo Verde) St. How smart are killer whales and can they decide to kill a person? Our great newsletters will give you all you need to know, from hard news to that bit of glamour you need every day. However, they also added that "Blackfish is not Dawn's story" and that "Since Dawn's death in 2010, the media has focused mainly on the whales. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [58], In 2011, Florida passed Statute 406.136, which provides for confidentiality of media obtained by public agencies that depicts or records the killing of a person. Her left elbow and left knee were dislocated. SeaWorld has removed Tilikum from its shows and prohibited trainers from swimming with any of its orcas while it conducts a safety review. Current subscribers: You will continue to receive e-mail unless you explicitly opt out by clicking, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Dawn had been working with Tilikum, SeaWorld Orlando's biggest orca, for 16 years, (Image: Tribune News Service via Getty Images), Dawn Brancheau had spent 16 years working closely with the killer whales at SeaWorld, This distressing image shows a black tarp covering Dawn Brancheau's body in the pool after the attack. By 13:43 Tilikum was seen swimming with her lifeless body in his mouth. He waited at least 30 minutes before Brancheau was freed from Tilikum's jaws. That Topoleski told investigators trainers moved Tilikum into three different pools in their attempt to free Brancheau, but the orca would not release her. It does work. Per the report, Brancheau was badly bruised, cut, and scraped. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The fight over that will rage on, Im sure. Tilikum, who had been involved in the deaths of two other people since he was taken from the seas around Iceland as a two-year-old, drowned Dawn in incredibly violent fashion, thrashing her around like a rag doll and leaving her with catastrophic injuries.