Whale Trainer Died From Multiple Traumatic Injuries and Drowning
Posted on Feb 25, 2010 @ 03:06PM - 8 comments
The cause of death of Dawn Brancheau, the 40-year-old trainer who was killed by Tillikum the killer whale at Florida’s SeaWorld on Wednesday, has been determined to be most likely from “multiple traumatic injuries and drowning” according to the Orange County Medical Examiner.
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The report released by the Sheriff’s Homicide Investigators said that Brancheau “was apparently interacting with the attraction’s largest male whale in knee deep water when the animal grabbed her by the hair, said to be in a long pony tail, and pulled her underwater.” She was pulled into the pool behind Shamu Stadium by Tillikum, the 30-year-old killer whale.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Mother Of Killed Whale Trainer - “My Daughter Died Doing What She Loves Best”
Brancheau had 16 years of experience working with Orcas and the report said “Rescuers were not able to immediately jump in and render assistance to the Brancheau due to the whale’s aggressive nature.”
The original theory behind her death was that Dawn had slipped into the orca’s pool, but after interviewing witnesses it became apparent to the Sheriff’s that the whale pulled Brancheau into the pool. The report said “She was recovered from the whale by SeaWorld staff members after the animal was coaxed into a smaller pool and lifted out of the water by a large scale/platform that lay on the bottom of the smaller tank.”
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Dawn’s mother Marion Loverde spoke with RadarOnline.com about her daughter’s love of the whale and her passion about the animals. “My daughter would not have wanted the whale to have been put-down – she was very happy working with her whales and was a wonderful person,” Marion said.
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“My family are all still in a state of shock, and her husband is absolutely devastated. They lived for one another; Dawn’s death is a tragic loss.”
Nancy Kerrigan's Dad's Death Ruled Homicide
Posted on Feb 09, 2010 @ 02:00PM - 3 comments
The death of Nancy Kerrigan's father, Daniel, has been ruled a homicide.
The Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was "cardiac dysrhythmia following a physical altercation with neck compression causing injury to the neck in the form of a cartilage fracture to the larynx area, in a person with hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular heart disease.
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"The corresponding manner of death has been ruled a homicide."
CONFIRMED: David Carradine 'Died Of Asphyxiation
Posted on Jul 02, 2009 @ 07:04AM - Add a comment
David Carradine died of asphyxiation but did not commit suicide, it has been confirmed.
Medical examiner Dr Michael Baden has concluded that the way in which Carradine's body was bound before his death confirmed that he had not intentionally killed himself.
"The cause of death was asphyxiation, an inability to breathe. Now why that happened is still what we're working on." Baden told Reuters.
"He didn't die of natural causes, and he didn't die of suicidal causes from the nature of the ligatures around the body, so that leaves some kind of accidental death."
He added that the full determination of the cause of the actor's death would not be known for at least another week.
It has been suggested that Carradine's death was caused by auto-erotic asphyxiation.
