The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that around 2 p.m. this afternoon, a veteran trainer was killed during a killer whale attack.

The identity of the employee has not yet been revealed, though park guests have reported that she was a female, as well as a veteran of SeaWorld.

While the incident took place during a public show, it is not yet clear which one or the number of park guests present at the time. the incident occurred after the trainer was explaining what they were about to see would be part of the performance.Park guests reported to local TV station WKMG that the whale suddenly came up from the water, grabbed her around her waist and “[thrashed] her around pretty good,” describing the incident as violent. the trainer’s shoe came off during the incident.

Guests were asked to leave the stadium, however the park was not shut down. Orange County Fire Rescue safety teams arrived on the scene within minutes, however the woman was dead when they arrived.

Local news affiliates report that the whale involved in the accident is named Tilikum.

Update 1: the name of the trainer who was involved with the fatal accident has been released. Identified as Dawn Brancheau, the 40-year-old was a veteran SeaWorld Trainer.

Jim Solomons from the Orlando County Sheriff’s Office said the trainer said that the trainer slipped or fell into the whale’s tank, which causes some discrepancy in the story. the Occupational Safety and Health Administration office in Atlanta has dispatched an investigator from Tampa to pursue the incident.

SeaWorld Orlando’s sister park, SeaWorld San Diego canceled its Shamu show Wednesday afternoon.

“We’re terribly saddened by the loss of the member of our SeaWorld family, it doesn’t matter what park,” said SeaWorld San Diego spokesman David Koontz.

For more information, visit OrlandoSentinel.com and LATimes.com.

Tags: Accident, Killer Whale, SeaWorld

SeaWorld trainer killed in whale attack (Update 1) | ThrillNetwork.com