Whale killing was recorded
Mar-09-2010

SeaWorld and the family of a trainer slain by a killer whale want to suppress video footage of the attack.

Dawn Brancheau was killed two weeks ago after being thrashed underwater before a horrified audience. SeaWorld's cameras recorded the death, and the tapes were voluntarily turned over to law enforcement.

Once the Orange County Sheriff's Office concludes its investigation, the material would become public under Florida law.

Brancheau's family said Monday through a spokesman that public airing of the killing would only worsen their grief.

"They asked us to help them in this effort and that's exactly what we're doing," said SeaWorld VP of Communications Fred Jacobs.

They could seek a court injunction to stop the release, at least temporarily. The family has been consulting the lawyer who represented Dale Earnhardt's widow in a court fight over his autopsy photos.

WFTV has obtained a copy of the liability waiver SeaWorld's contractors have to sign (read waiver). It states there might be "dangerous activity, which involves known and unknown risks of serious personal injury, not limited to bites, scratches, abrasions, lacerations."

SeaWorld has not decided whether a whale that killed its trainer by dragging her into the water will keep performing, an official said Tuesday.

In the days after Dawn Brancheau died, the park's top official pledged that the killer whale named Tilikum would return to SeaWorld's shows. But park spokesman Fred Jacobs said Tuesday that nothing will be decided about the whale's future until after a thorough review of the accident.

"On reflection, we really can't say anything about Tilikum or the other killer whales until the review is complete," said park spokesman Fred Jacobs. "We do feel that it is likely Tilikum will return to the shows but to promise that is premature."

Tilikum has also been involved in two other deaths, one of a trainer at a Canadian park and another of a man who sneaked past security and was found draped over the whale's body at SeaWorld.

Posted by jc at 11:13 PM - Link to this entry  |  Share this entry  |  Print