February 25th, 2010

Killer whale kills trainer at Sea World in Orlando.  Families who went to Sea World to see Shamu the whale were terrified when a trainer was killed.  Eye witness accounts peg the whale as the perpetrator of a very serious attack, whereas offical statements from Sea World indicate that the trainer slipped, fell in the tank, and the whale drug her into the water.

Authorities shut down Sea World to do a thourough investigation of the matter. The same animal was previously responsible for another trainer’s death back in 1991, prompting many questions about why that particular creature was featured in a show such as this.

The trainer that was killed isn’t inexperienced.  In fact, she’s one of the park’s most experienced employees.  She’s worked for the park for 12 years, 10 of which she has worked with the whales.

Some professionals warn not to jump to conclusions about the whale, because it could have just been trying to play with the trainer.  The creature is extremely large and powerful – hardly a match for the average sized person.

The day ended on a sad note for many families that traveled to Sea World to enjoy the show at Shamu Stadium. Hopefully authorities and park officials will get to the bottom of the situation and take precautionary measures to ensure that tragedies such as this won’t happen again.

Source:

My Fox Atlanta