SeaWorld Orlando’s 911 calls released following trainer’s orca death

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ORLANDO, Fla. — The 911 calls made after a SeaWorld Orlando trainer was pulled into a pool by a killer whale last week show an increasing awareness of the seriousness of the situation with each call.

The recordings were released Thursday by Orange County Fire Rescue.

The first call was made as the 12,000-pound whale named Tilikum swam in the pool with 40-year-old trainer Dawn Brancheau in his mouth.

‘We actually have a trainer in the water with one of the whales, the whale they’re not supposed to be in the water with,’ said a female SeaWorld employee. ‘We don’t know what is going on. We were told just to have somebody here on standby once they get the person out.’

The 911 dispatcher asked if other workers were trying to get Brancheau out of the water.

‘There are people working on it ... about two or three dozen people over there now,’ the SeaWorld worker said.

In the second call, the SeaWorld worker told the dispatcher that a defibrillator has been pulled out of its box for the trainer. In the next call, she told the dispatcher to send an ambulance inside the park.

Investigators have said Brancheau died from multiple traumatic injuries and drowning. The 22-foot-long whale pulled Brancheau into the pool by her ponytail last week after a performance.

-- Associated Press

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