SeaWorld Trainer Killed by Killer Whale

[Dr. Evil]

Read it here: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/24/kil...ath/index.html

CNN - A killer whale killed a trainer Wednesday afternoon at SeaWorld's Shamu Stadium in Orlando, Florida, a public information officer for the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.
The 40-year-old woman, identified by sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons as Dawn Brancheau, was in the whale holding area about 2 p.m. when "she apparently slipped or fell into the tank and was fatally injured by one of the whales," he said.

Yeah. I was watching the news yesterday and heard about it. It was during a show when the killer whale named Tilly leaped from the tank and attacked her. SeaWorld however, claims that she slipped and fell in. Many onlookers have home-video evidence of the whale attacking her.

[suzumi]

Well they ain't called "killer whales" for nothing. =P

Lame jokes aside, it must have been really terrible and I offer my deepest condolences to her family, friends, and co-workers.

[DOOM!]

Yeah, killer whales... they do that often. Probably didn't like the trainer, or being held in captivity for so long, or both.

[Sephiroth]

Pet 'em.

[Eris]

Why the media circus? I don't see why this is different from any other work-related death.

When a carpenter falls to his death on a work-site it doesn't end up being international news.

[Sephiroth]

Why the media circus? I don't see why this is different from any other work-related death.

When a carpenter falls to his death on a work-site it doesn't end up being international news.

A slave rose against its master.

[Miss Moonlight]

According to the news, this whale was involved in attacks where he killed other people before.

So, why did they continue to put him in theme parks?

[Eris]

A slave rose against its master.

I doubt it. From what I understand, it simply dragged the trainer under the water. Since this is something that wouldn't harm another killer whale, it's likely it was just playing. It's a lot to expect it to have enough understanding of the anatomy of humans to realize we can't stay under the water for extended periods of time.

[Sephiroth]

I doubt it. From what I understand, it simply dragged the trainer under the water. Since this is something that wouldn't harm another killer whale, it's likely it was just playing. It's a lot to expect it to have enough understanding of the anatomy of humans to realize we can't stay under the water for extended periods of time.

That's not how the average reader sees it. The story is more popular than a carpenter dying, because it resonates with people. It's an emotional apppeal. The reader is baited, they read the story, they relate to it, and they have a positive emotional response. This increases the chance that the reader will return to the same news source and a chance for the process to repeat. The more people who visit the news source, the more ad revenue is generated for the news source.

[Eris]

That's not how the average reader sees it. The story is more popular than a carpenter dying, because it resonates with people. It's an emotional apppeal. The reader is baited, they read the story, they relate to it, and they have a positive emotional response. This increases the chance that the reader will return to the same news source and a chance for the process to repeat. The more people who visit the news source, the more ad revenue is generated for the news source.

You don't need some oversized tuna for publicity. You can whip up a sob-story about basically any work-related death.

Say a the pool cleaner slips and cracks their head open:
If the person who died was young, s/he was taken before his/her time.
If the person who died was old, s/he only had (some small number) of years until retirement.
If the person had a family, you can write about little timmy who will be wondering when daddy will come home and play ball with him / similar story about mommy.
If the person didn't have a family, you can write about how s/he lived alone all his/her life.

You've just got to put some effort into it.

[Sephiroth]

You don't need some oversized tuna for publicity. You can whip up a sob-story about basically any work-related death.

Say a the pool cleaner slips and cracks their head open:
If the person who died was young, s/he was taken before his/her time.
If the person who died was old, s/he only had (some small number) of years until retirement.
If the person had a family, you can write about little timmy who will be wondering when daddy will come home and play ball with him / similar story about mommy.
If the person didn't have a family, you can write about how s/he lived alone all his/her life.

You've just got to put some effort into it.

That's true, but you said, "when a carpenter falls to his death on a work-site", and didn't give any particulars.

There are other factors that determine which stories get priority. It's possible that there aren't any recent events that fit the descriptions you gave or ones that any major news sources are aware of. There's also the fact that the stories they print will generally need to be true, lest they risk damaging their credibility. They could jeopardize their business if they published just any ol' made-up story. Furthermore, the political climate, i.e., Obama, may be causing the killer whale story to receive more importance, because of the master-slave analogies that can be drawn from that.

[wolfgirl90]

.So, why did they continue to put him in theme parks?

Apparently, Tilikum is one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) killer whale in captivity. He is the breeding male for a lot of SeaWorld's whales and because of this, he is worth millions of millions of dollars. They don't want to isolate him because that will just make his attitude worse (he's apparently very aggressive at times; his only interaction with the crowd is to splash water) and because they want him to continue to be part of the social structure of the other whales.

What happened was sad and my condolences to the family and co-workers. However, killer whales have that name for a reason. They are very intelligent and sophisticated marine predators (they are actually dolphins not whales). People often forget that killer whales are predators. Hard to forget when you are training an over 12,000 pound animal but easy to forget when one is watching the same animal bouncing a ball.

[Nighthawk]

"Killer Whales" have that name because of their hunting behaviour, not because they are "man hunters". There have been no documented Orca attacks on humans outside a dolphinarium. Like Eris i doubt there was any intention of killing involved.

[Sephiroth]

Why do you guys think that the intent of the killer whale is relevant? If we suspect that it's guilty, are we going to "try it as an adult" for aggravated murder?

[Galactic Pretty Boy]

Killer Whale kills trainer,such delightful irony.

[Skylar1]

Yeah. That Whale is a killer alright.

I mean, last summer I went to see the show, and the thing splashed water all over me! Clearly a warning sign of rebellion.

[John Watson]

It's a real shame, and all of those people were witnesses to that. I'd be scarred for life. To have attended something that was supposed to be fun and have it turn into a tragedy in the end.

Talk about a freak accident...or two. ._.

[Annie Hall]

Why the media circus? I don't see why this is different from any other work-related death.

When a carpenter falls to his death on a work-site it doesn't end up being international news.

I agree, they act like it should be a safe job to have. It's ridiculous. Also the notion of killing animals that harm humans is ludicrous. You don't stop using a scaffold because someone falls off it. Anyway, it's all just silly.

That's not how the average reader sees it. The story is more popular than a carpenter dying, because it resonates with people. It's an emotional apppeal. The reader is baited, they read the story, they relate to it, and they have a positive emotional response. This increases the chance that the reader will return to the same news source and a chance for the process to repeat. The more people who visit the news source, the more ad revenue is generated for the news source.

Do you have an idea what you're even talking about? "a positive emotional response"? That doesn't even apply. Also when you say that maybe there weren't any other stories to run, that's silly too, because people are dying DAILY I mean it's not like sometimes there just aren't any deaths, people are dropping like flies, you have to realize that. If they want a death related story, they can find one -.-;

and furthermore:

Obama, may be causing the killer whale story to receive more importance, because of the master-slave analogies that can be drawn from that.

...Um... seriously?
Do you even think before you type?

I don't even think I need to point out how stupid that comment was, it speaks VOLUMES for itself.

[poshyterra]

supposedly tilikum's behavior had been improving since the 1999 attack. i'm assuming that they felt he was returning to normal behavior and could be around others...

my deepest condolences go to the family and friends of the trainer. i would guess that she loved and trusted the whale and never expected him to pull her under.

[Sephiroth]

I agree, they act like it should be a safe job to have. It's ridiculous. Also the notion of killing animals that harm humans is ludicrous. You don't stop using a scaffold because someone falls off it. Anyway, it's all just silly.

I agree.

Do you have an idea what you're even talking about?

Yes.

"a positive emotional response"? That doesn't even apply.

Why?

Also when you say that maybe there weren't any other stories to run, that's silly too, because people are dying DAILY I mean it's not like sometimes there just aren't any deaths, people are dropping like flies, you have to realize that. If they want a death related story, they can find one -.-;

They're a business. They print what the majority of people want to read. They are concerned with profit as a bottom line. Catering to a minority audience is less profitable.

and furthermore:


...Um... seriously?
Do you even think before you type?

I don't even think I need to point out how stupid that comment was, it speaks VOLUMES for itself.

Your argument amounts to an appeal to ridicule and is therefore invalid. Please explain what volumes my comment speaks for itself.

[Annie Hall]

They're a business. They print what the majority of people want to read. They are concerned with profit as a bottom line. Catering to a minority audience is less profitable.

The majority of those who watch news don't care what it's saying, they just want to know what's going on. Not to mention that a double homicide or some insane postal worker, are better crowd pleasers. Regardless they put too much emphasis on the fact that she was killed doing her job, and acting like it's the animals fault is silly. The whale was doing what whales do, she was the one RISKING her life for being in that profession to begin with. It's like everyone getting shocked that a stunt man dies.

Your argument amounts to an appeal to ridicule and is therefore invalid. Please explain what volumes my comment speaks for itself.

The fact that you linked Obama to this situation under the notion that the media had some underlying symbolism is idiotic, and racist for that matter. Referencing the "master and slave" dynamic, honestly? it's completely wrong. The fact that your statement was based on an outrageous and completely unfounded analysis of the situation is what makes you look stupid.

[Sephiroth]

The majority of those who watch news don't care what it's saying, they just want to know what's going on. Not to mention that a double homicide or some insane postal worker, are better crowd pleasers.

Those are your opinions. Maybe you can show statistics for their target demographic?

The fact that you linked Obama to this situation under the notion that the media had some underlying symbolism is idiotic,

Please explain why.

and racist for that matter.

Racism does not cease to exist just because a mulatto was elected president of the United States. Racism stems from tribalism. As humans are social animals, tribalism is inseparable from the human condition, as long as we are humans. Until blacks and whites belong to the same collective tribe, there will continue to be racial tension between the two groups. They are headed in the right direction, but racial equality is not a reality yet. I understand that this is not a "politically correct" topic. For that reason, it is important to maintain an impartial viewpoint.

Referencing the "master and slave" dynamic, honestly? it's completely wrong.

Why?

The fact that your statement was based on an outrageous and completely unfounded analysis of the situation

How was it outrageous and unfounded?

is what makes you look stupid.

That is an ad hominem argument and therefore invalid. Attack my arguments, not my character.

[Annie Hall]

They're a business. They print what the majority of people want to read. They are concerned with profit as a bottom line. Catering to a minority audience is less profitable.

Can you prove that this story is something that the majority of people want to read? if not, then fail.


As for the rest, your statement was beyond idiotic and incredibly offensive. You should really put more thought into the things you say, the only reason I'm not furthering my argument against your comment is because it's a pointless battle. You clearly won't listen to reason, you're too busy trying to look intelligent to actually realize that you're coming off as an idiot.

[Sephiroth]

Can you prove that this story is something that the majority of people want to read? if not, then fail.

I already provided a logical proof. You just quoted it.

As for the rest, your statement was beyond idiotic and incredibly offensive. You should really put more thought into the things you say, the only reason I'm not furthering my argument against your comment is because it's a pointless battle. You clearly won't listen to reason, you're too busy trying to look intelligent to actually realize that you're coming off as an idiot.

This is a string of ad hominem remarks, a straw man, and the appeal to ridicule.

[Battler Ushiromiya]

Yeah, killer whales... they do that often. Probably didn't like the trainer, or being held in captivity for so long, or both.

*FacePalm*
Ya or you should prolly learn more about killer whales, or all animals fro that matter.
Prolly did not like the trainer? REALLY?
Animals do not "Dislike" in the way that you do, they do almost everything fo a reason. Now if you read more into it then you would have learned the whale got her by the hair and then the rest is history. If it wanted to kill her then the hair is not what it would have gone for. So disliked, and mad dont work here.
Killer whales kills great white sharks with ease. Why? Because they are smart. The real experts on this have decided not to kill the killer whale and to continue to work with it.... Why you ask? Because they prolly understand it more than us and that the whale can kill, it most likely will not unless something is wrong. They are still researching that further but from what I hear this prolly happened from the womans ponytail dropped down touching the animal. IDK why but this happened right after that.

Anyways....
I doubt the killer whale got mad at the trainer that just rubbed it's belly when it asked. There was another more logical reason here. I am sure of that.

@ Eris: Yes I understand why you dont like it being the center the media or whatever, and I agree it should not, BUT I think the reason for it being the center is this...
1. Most people dont think of killer whales as...... well.... killers. A lot of people know we are not what they eat, and after free whilly i doubt people think badly of them.
2. The job this death occured at is a place where you think it is "safe".
3. This whle had a bad looking history, but as far as we know he never really killed anyone, we just found him with a bad situation from what I heard. ut the fact that the whale has been suspected of this before makes it all the better for reporting.
4. A lot of people saw this happen so you have tons of interviews,
5. I will think of this later.

Dose that help eris?