Witness: Whale Emerged From Water With Trainer In Its Mouth

Posted on Feb 25, 2010 @ 04:15AM

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Eyewitnesses to the whale attack at Orlando, Florida SeaWorld recounted the horror Wednesday when Tilikum, a 12,000-pound male orca whale, grabbed trainer Dawn Brancheau and pulled her into the water, where she drowned.

PHOTOS: Dawn Brancheau At Florida SeaWorld

Michigan native Eldon Skaggs was eating his lunch in the area during the Dine With Shamu program, RadarOnline.com has learned, when tragedy reared its’ ugly head.

VIDEO: Stock Footage OF Whale At Florida SeaWorld

Brancheau "was laying on the platform, massaging the whale, petting it," Skaggs told Orlando TV affiliate WKMG. "All of a sudden, [the whale] latched on and took her under. He came up one time out of the water with her in his mouth -- that was the last [we saw] of her because [they were] running us out of there."

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Whale Advocate Blames Sea World For Trainer's Death

Another witness, Victoria Biniak, told the station that Tilikum "took off really fast in the tank, and then he came back, shot up in the air, grabbed the trainer by the waist and started thrashing around, and one of her shoes flew off."

Alarms stated ringing, guests started leaving, and the other trainers were "trying, all running, trying to save her," Skaggs said.

Killed SeaWorld Trainer Believed in Trust Relationship with Whales

Brancheau, a graduate of University of South Carolina with degrees in psychology and animal behavior, was hired at the aquatic theme park in the mid-90s. The 40-year-old Merrillville, Indiana native was married with no kids, and the proud owner of two dogs, her mother Marion LoVerde told the NY Daily News.

"She was a fantastic girl," LoVerde said. "She was loved by all. Anyone who met her loved her. She had the best personality."

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Brancheau's older sister, Diane Gross, told WGN the trainer "was the most loving, caring spiritual person. Anytime you had a problem, you could talk to Dawn. She had all of the advice and wonderful advice.

"Just unbelievable person," she said.

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Maybe they should retire these animals after certain amount of years, some people lose their mind when they have to do certain jobs day after day, it's possible the whale got fed up and rebelled.

by Icyhotpr
Posted Thu, 02/25/2010 - 7:40pm

May your memories of her bright smile and happy personality help you get through this hard time.
God Bless you and your families.

by sarahlm84
Posted Thu, 02/25/2010 - 12:09pm

This is such a horrible situation that happened. I pray for the family both relatives and co-working family in their time of grief. She passed doing something she has loved since such a young age and she is in a better place now.

by sarahlm84
Posted Thu, 02/25/2010 - 12:08pm

Please shed some light on that and how that is actually ANIMAL RIGHTS.

by sarahlm84
Posted Thu, 02/25/2010 - 12:07pm

Do you really think that letting a sick or hurt animal just suffer and ignore them is really right either? You just want to leave them out there in the wild to suffer and get killed for other animals to feed when the animal can be saved.

by sarahlm84
Posted Thu, 02/25/2010 - 12:07pm

Then by the time that they are healed they have been in captivity for so long and had food just provided to them that they no longer know how to hunt they would only be hunted. Is that what you so called animal rights activists want?

by sarahlm84
Posted Thu, 02/25/2010 - 12:06pm

Most of these animals would not be alive now if it wasnt for being saved and nurtured back to health.

by sarahlm84
Posted Thu, 02/25/2010 - 12:06pm

I understand that they are wild animals and deserve to be in the wild but do you not realize that most of these animals were saved from the wild because they were injured or sick.

by sarahlm84
Posted Thu, 02/25/2010 - 11:55am

I have actually been to Sea World Orlando several times growing up. I know for a fact that yes, they do perform daily but I also know that if the animal does not want to perform they do not make it.

by sarahlm84
Posted Thu, 02/25/2010 - 11:54am