Worker: "Whale Would Not Let Us Have Her"

A killer whale that dragged a trainer to her death eluded SeaWorld workers' frenzied efforts to corral it with plastic nets while it swam pool-to-pool, according to witness statements released Monday.

After the massive whale was finally trapped last week, it refused to unclench its teeth and let go of Dawn Brancheau, according to the investigative reports released by the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Its jaws were eventually pried open.

"The whale would not let us have her," another trainer, Jodie Ann Tintle, told investigators after the Wednesday attack.

WKMG: Watch Trainer with Tilikum Before Attack

Investigators have said that the 40-year-old trainer died from multiple traumatic injuries and drowning.

In the new investigative reports, Brancheau's co-workers describe the swiftness of the attack and the furious response that came after alarms sounded around the pool. Employees who were at other pools, behind computers or emptying coolers of fish rushed to the scene.

The reports released Monday include the first extensive accounts from employees who witnessed the attacks at the park in Orlando.

Jan Topoleski, whose job is to monitor trainers' safety during shows, told investigators he saw Brancheau lying on the deck face-to-face with the 22-foot-long, 12,000-pound whale and communicating with him right before the attack. He said the whale, named Tilikum, bit Brancheau's hair and pulled her into the pool in a span of about two seconds. He sounded an alarm and grabbed safety equipment.

Susanne De Wit, a 33-year-old tourist from the Netherlands, told investigators her group had just walked to a window for a photo when she saw the attack. The attack occurred in front of about 20 visitors who had stuck around after a noontime show.

"Suddenly I saw (the whale) grabbing the trainer ... and pulling her down in the water," she said. "It was scary. He was very wild, with the trainer still in the whale's mouth, the whale's tail was very wild in the water."

Tanner Grogan, who scrambled to help other employees unfurl nets to corral Tilikum, said the whale at one point let go for several seconds, but snatched Brancheau again by the foot before anyone could react. The plastic, weighted nets - similar to temporary fencing used at construction sites - were unrolled and dropped in the water to help direct the whale to a pool with a hydraulic lift.

It's not clear how long it took workers to finally trap the whale in that pool and lift him from the water. One witness said it seemed like 10 minutes. Another said it could have been as long as 30 minutes.

Even after the whale was lifted out of the water, Brancheau still could not be freed until the whale's jaws were pried open. The trainer was pronounced dead by paramedics on the deck by the pool.

"Tilly was not giving up Dawn," said Robin Ann Morland, another SeaWorld worker.

More on SeaWorld Tragedy:
Whale, Trainer Play on Film Before Attack
SeaWorld Defends Killer Whale
SeaWorld: The Show Must Go On
Ex-SeaWorld Official: Trainer Made Mistake
Dawn Brancheau's Last Moments Alive
SeaWorld Trainer Embraced Risks of Job
SeaWorld Dives into Damage Control
Trainer Has "No Fear" of Killer Whales
Tilikum Trainer Had to be Pulled From Jaws
Does Killer Whale Need a Lawyer?
SeaWorld Staff Saw Tilikum as Dangerous
What Caused Killer Whale to Attack?

[df446]

They had no contingency plans that called for killing the animal instantly if someone's life was in danger? Foolish.

It doesn't matter if the animal didn't understand what it was doing. Killing it would not have been an act of punishment - it would have been an act to save a human life. No different than one human shooting another in self-defense. A self-defense shooting is not an act of revenge or punishment - it's an act taken to save a life.

Humans have ultimate moral authority over the animal kingdom and should never hesitate to execute that authority when a human life is at stake.

[wheresmycountry]

Paramedics don't pronounce anyone dead on the scene unless they are unable to perform CPR because of large parts of the head, neck or chest being completely destroyed. I'm not feeling a lot of whale sympathy here.

[df446]

Paramedics pronounce people dead at scenes all the time without major trauma being present. EMTs even do it when it's obvious or the right paperwork is in order, and cancel the responding medics.

[newsterl]

Ningishzida
Orcas REALLY are calculating killers. Several, probably Tilikum included, have been observed at Sea World deliberately luring seagulls near their heads with their own fish, just to catch and devour them. "

LOL oh really? so what you are saying is they are SMART enough to catch their own food naturally. Let's see how "calculating killers" live- they figure out how to attract and catch seagulls to eat them, gee I cant think of any other animal that does that, but wait a sec, how about humans? don't they sort of go out and use things like BAIT when fishing? LURES, scents, mating call whistles, camo clothes and more to slaughter deer and other animals for FUN?
Gee, who is the real calculating killer?

[gnosticfox]

There are several things that need to be addressed. One the protacols for what to do when a large animal is attacking a human. That whale could have been stopped immediately with a explosive charged spear gun. Yes it would have killed the whale instantly and their income generated from that whale. But the trainer would be alive to talk about it. The very idea of trying to corral it with plastic webing is ridiculous. It appears to me they put the welfare of the whale ahead of the trainer and that is something the public should think about. When you put in that perspective SeaWorld killed the trainer not the whale because of their lack of proper action that would haved saved her. It doesn't matter what they've done in the past and gotten away with, they knew how to stop that whale and did nothing.

[SIKCHUTNAY]

SO YOU'RE SAYING WE SHOULD KILL EVERY ANIMAL OUT THERE DOING WHAT IS NATURAL TO THEM

[Ningishzida]

Killing a million dollar plus animal to rescue a trainer is probably not even an option. I am sure every Orca trainer understood that when they took the job, and they are still saying that after the tragedy.

Orcas REALLY are calculating killers. Several, probably Tilikum included, have been observed at Sea World deliberately luring seagulls near their heads with their own fish, just to catch and devour them.

The trainer should have known how dangerous this whale was, and never got that close to it. Yes, it is her own fault. She was lured to her death as surely as those sea gulls. There is no doubt he intended to eat his 'catch' as well, if allowed to, after 20 minutes her body was finally pried from his jaws. But this is no reason to execute the whale. He was simply doeing what nature intended. There is an expession, " I wouldn't touch him with a 10 foot pole". If the trainer used a 10 foot pole to rub the belly of such a deadly animal, she would still be alive today.

[Farver4girls]

The orcas should be freed. SeaWorld is wrong to imprison these beautiful creatures. The orcas belong in the ocean with their pods.

[formrusmcsgt]

by CompletelyFrustrated March 2, 2010 3:29 PM EST
They are very quick to call this animal a killer..
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Geez...wonder why that might be......

[formrusmcsgt]

A killer whale that dragged a trainer to her death eluded SeaWorld workers' frenzied efforts to corral it with plastic nets while it swam pool-to-pool....
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Like humans are going to corral a 6 ton dolphin with nets....

[jlyn74]

Just like other high-risk jobs--deep sea fishermen, loggers, even considering the military, I'm sure the trainer knew the dangers of her job. It is sad that she lost her life. Unfortunately, that was a risk she took with the job she loved.

[SusanStoHelit]

I think the descriptions I've heard from other animal trainers sounds about right - the whale had a new toy, a new friend - it didn't want to give it up right away. It's got no way to understand what it is doing.

Sea World has it right - the orca will not be punished, the people are the ones who must be careful in dealing with a wild animal.

[myeyedea]

If this had been an attack by a dog, especially a pitbull, everyone would be clammoring for it to have been killed to free the person or put down afterwards. People have so little patience for trying to examine what caused a dog to react like this whale did, but let Seaworld's animals act out and kill people and it's all about how "it's not the whale's fault, this whale is still a great ambassador for the orcas' position throughout the world"... I think if a captive animal demonstrates it's willing to kill humans it needs to be put down. In the case of this whale, it should be released if they're not going to put it down, but it should not continue to remain in an environment that obviously is not challenging it enough to keep it from behaving aggressively.

[CompletelyFrustrated]

This really cannot compare to a dog attack, but you are right the media is so intent on putting the bad press out that they neglect to share important facts.

They are very quick to call this animal a killer - it was caught in the wild in 1983. He was not bred in captivity, out in the wild their only known predator is man. An Orca can take on a Great White Shark and win.

I also believe trainer of these animals take a risk with every interaction, just like a race car drive. This whale along with 2 others caused the death of a trainer many years ago, the idiot who decided he wanted to swim with them by SNEAKING into their environment doesn't count - he was just plain stupid.

This animal deserves to be set free.

[SusanStoHelit]

A dog is supposed to be tamed, domesticated - that's the only reason you are allowed to have one living in your home, walking in public where it could attack anyone.

A whale is not out in public, is not a pet, cannot attack anyone but those who put themselves in reach, and is tightly regulated.

All the difference in the world between these two. When your pitbulls are only allowed in zoos, handled by professional trainers - THEN you can say it's the same thing.