Killer Whale Kills Trainer Footage: Dawn Brancheau's Last Moments Alive

By: Neil Katz
Topics: Daily Blotter

(WESH)

(Jeffrey Sasse)

NEW YORK (CBS) A tourist visiting Orlando's SeaWorld captured whale trainer Dawn Brancheau's last moments alive.

Photo: Amateur footage of Dawn Brancheau and Tilikum moments before he killed her.

PICTURES: Dawn Brancheau SeaWorld Trainer Killed

Todd Connell videotaped seven minutes of footage which shows Brancheau working with Tilikum the killer whale. He told CBS affiliate WKMG, which is running the footage, that he shut off the camera seconds before Tilikum grabbed Brancheau by the pony tail and dragged her underwater.
The 40-year-old died of multiple traumatic injuries and drowning Wednesday.

Photo: Dawn Brancheau with an unnamed whale.

PICTURES: Dawn Brancheau SeaWorld Trainer Killed

"It was terrible. It's very difficult to see the image," said Brazilian tourist Joao Lucio DeCosta Sobrinho. He and his girlfriend said they watched the whale show at the park two days earlier and came back to take pictures. But on Wednesday the whales appeared agitated.

"He was thrashing her around pretty good. It was violent," witness Victoria Biniak told the Orlando Sentinel. 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," she told the paper.

She said the attack was so violent that Brancheau's shoe flew off.

Some workers hustled the audience out of the stadium while the others tried to save Brancheau, but it was too late.

SEE THE FOOTAGE
WKMG

MEDIA
PICTURES: Dawn Brancheau SeaWorld Trainer Killed

MORE ON CRIMESIDER
February 25, 2010 - Dawn Brancheau Pictures: SeaWorld Trainer Loved Whale That Killed Her
February 24, 2010 - Tillikum the Killer Whale Had Violent Past Before Deadly Attack on SeaWorld Trainer
February 24, 2010 - SeaWorld Trainer Killed by Tillikum the Whale

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by SusanStoHelit February 28, 2010 9:34 PM EST: I don't know how much I trust that footage - there's a ton of whales and they all look pretty much alike. Was this footage from that day - or footage from a few days ago - or footage from an earlier show?; Reply to this comment


by annon27 February 28, 2010 5:44 AM EST: http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=10561240378

This was a Seaworld owned whale and Seaworld has a supervisor assigned to this park to oversee the 4 orcas on loan.

The difference is this is the first Seaworld owned whale death at a Seaworld park. Do your research...; Reply to this comment


by annon27 February 28, 2010 5:29 AM EST: I wouldn't be surprised if Seaworld got this post deleted. You have no idea their reach or how many coverups they have been involved with. I don't work for them but am in the animal training world and know many Seaworld trainers. This is the true story they have told me. Seaworld has underwater cameras in the orca tanks and stadium cameras. They have to being Seaworld. Dawn was pulled underwater for 5min. Film show her struggling to get to the surface before Tilikum brought her down again. Thankfully she drowned. My friends told me he pulled off her arm and she was scapled by the animal. She was physically unrecognizable. He had her in his mouth for 38min. The net protocols were unsuccessful and they had to coax him into a med pool to raise him up so he would finally release her body. The footage is grusome. You will never see it. Research the seaworld killer whale death in Spain this past Christmas. Oh never heard about it? Surprise but my friend's boyfriend (another seaworld orca trainer) witnessed. There are so many more attacks that the media never hears about. I'm sick of the silence because this is so many trainers dreams. At least acknowledge the risk. It's not a matter of if but when....that's what Seaworld tells all us trainers...; Reply to this comment


by toldyouso21 February 28, 2010 12:56 AM EST: Maybe in that stupid black and white wetsuit, he thought she was a little orca and could take a little handling from papa.; Reply to this comment


by mjjm3t February 27, 2010 5:03 PM EST: My prayers go out to the family of this victim, but like the rest, i completely agree with not being able to capture innocent animals and hold them in captivity. These enormous animals are called KILLER WHALES...not friendly whale's, not playful whales....ONCE AGAIN THAT'S KILLER WHALE PEOPLE. we have enough entertainment in the world to not have to capture ANYTHING for ANY reason.; Reply to this comment

by rendere February 27, 2010 12:27 PM EST

They say animals are aware of things long before humans. Makes you wonder if the whales were "agitated" because they already sensed today's earthquake in Chile.

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by toldyouso21 February 28, 2010 1:01 AM EST: This is actually a very good point and may have merit.

by JavMD February 27, 2010 11:54 AM EST

i can't bring myself to even look at the pictures nor read the rest of the story !

Its sad that some people who stayed and watched did not jump down and at least yell to the whale or throw fish in the water, or even some hero that would jump in.

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by Overruled1 February 27, 2010 12:09 PM EST: Yeah right, as if a human has a chance against a playful yet murderous 32ft 12 ton "killer" whale....just one flipper is as tall as a man.


by warsux February 28, 2010 9:23 AM EST: thats what americans do best. Watch someone else's horror while sitting and enjoying some salt laiden snacks.

by AmerBestZoos February 27, 2010 10:39 AM EST

Of course this is a tragedy! But this keeper, bless her heart, accepted the risks of working with these enormous animals and she did it out of her love for animals. So there is nothing to condemn Sea World or the orca for.

Allen Nyhuis, Coauthor: America's Best Zoos

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by toldyouso21 February 28, 2010 1:00 AM EST: shut up zoo shill--it is in your interest to perpetuate this--you make your money that way--but what was ever in it for the animal?


by warsux February 27, 2010 8:47 AM EST: I say that we start rounding up all the killer whales, torture them, kill half of them, and then maybe the other half will not eat us! Its the american way!; Reply to this comment


by warsux February 27, 2010 8:44 AM EST: I say that we start rounding up all the killer whales, torture them, kill half of them, and then maybe the other half will not eat us! Its the american way!; Reply to this comment