Dawn Therese Brancheau was a famous American animal trainer at SeaWorld. She worked with orcas at SeaWorld Orlando for fifteen years including a leading role in revamping the Shamu show and was SeaWorld’s poster girl. But suddenly she left us and in this post you will get all the information related to her death.
What is Dawn Brancheau’s Cause of Death?
Dawn Brancheau was killed by an Orca, Tilikum on February 24, 2010. Tilikum, the largest orca and Brancheau performed in a “Dine with Shamu” show on February 24, 2010 at SeaWorld Orlando. The orca performed and was fed while visitors dined at an outdoor restaurant and observed the show from the poolside.
She was stroking Tilikum’s head at the side of the pool as part of the end-of-show routine. She was lying on a slide-out which is a platform that is submerged approximately a foot into the water with her face next to Tilikum’s.
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Her left arm drew her into the sea. Tilikum allegedly grabbed Brancheau by the hair or shoulder. She was pulled below and drowned by the orca, whose action appeared to be quite swift. At least a dozen customers saw Brancheau and Tilikum in the water.
In an effort to divert him, staff members threw food into the river and utilized nets. After circling the complex’s many pools, they eventually directed Tilikum to a smaller, medical pool where they hoped it would be simpler to calm him down.
Brancheau’s body was freed by Tilikum after around 45 minutes. In Worth Township, Cook County, Illinois, at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Brancheau was laid to rest.
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What Was Found in Dawn Brancheau’s Autopsy Reports?
According to the postmortem report, Brancheau died from drowning and blunt force injuries. In addition to having her spinal cord severed, she also suffered fractures to her ribs, jaws and cervical vertebra. Her left elbow and left knee were dislocated and her scalp had been entirely pulled off.
You can read about her autopsy report in a tweet provided below:
Just moments after this image was captured, SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau was snatched into the jaws of the orca pictured here and brutally killed. Her body was then thrashed about over the course of 45 minutes while the horrified crowd helplessly looked on.
The autopsy report… pic.twitter.com/qgaqecT5Ol
— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) October 20, 2023
At What Age Did Dawn Brancheau Die?
Dawn Brancheau was born on April 16, 1969 and passed away on February 24, 2010 at the age of 40 years. Brancheau was the youngest of six children when she was born Dawn Therese LoVerde in Cedar Lake, Indiana. On a trip with her family to Orlando, she decided she wanted to be a Shamu trainer.
She earned degrees in both animal behavior and psychology from the University of South Carolina. When she wasn’t working, she took care of a variety of stray ducks, chickens, bunnies and small birds at her house, worked at a nearby animal shelter and took care of two chocolate Labradors.
Before starting her job at SeaWorld Orlando in 1994, Brancheau worked with otters and sea lions for two years at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. She spent several years performing in many SeaWorld public shows as a senior trainer
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