Eyewitness police interviews immediately after killer whale Tilikum killed Dawn Brancheau at Sea World in Florida. Interviewed by Orange County Sheriff’s Office, February 24, 2010,



This is not part of the show. Get the kids out of here!”
--Jessica Wilder, guest at SeaWorld Florida and witness to the killing of trainer Dawn Brancheau by the orca Tilikum. Interviewed by Orange County Sheriff’s Office, February 26, 2010, 9:51 AM

Wilder was at the underwater viewing area when the incident began and was one of the few people to see Tilikum attack Brancheau beneath the surface. In this interview, she describes in gripping detail how the 12,000-pound orca repeatedly rammed Brancheau, who at one point curled up into a ball in a vain attempt to protect herself.




“I’m getting that body. I’m getting my friend.”
-- Laura Surovik, Assistant Curator of Animal Training, SeaWorld Florida, and close friend of Dawn Brancheau. Interviewed by Orange County Sheriff’s Office, February 24, 2010, 4:58PM, just hours after Brancheau was killed by the orca Tilikum.

In this interview, Surovik displays extraordinary composure as she describes the grueling efforts to get the rampaging Tilikum to relinquish the body of trainer Brancheau at SeaWorld Orlando. Surovik risked her own safety to approach the whale and convince him to give up the body.


“He just became an animal.”
-- Lynne Schaber, Trainer at Shamu Stadium, SeaWorld Florida and Spotter Trainer when the orca Tilikum killed Dawn Brancheau. Interviewed by Orange County Sheriff’s Office, February 24, 2010, 3:53 PM, shortly after Brancheau died.

Schaber was downstairs in the underwater viewing area that fateful day when Tilikum grabbed Dawn Brancheau and proceeded to ram and kill her in front of terrified guests. Shockingly, even though she had worked beside Tilikum for many years, Schaber was unaware of the details surrounding the other two human deaths previously associated with the 12,000 pound killer whale.