Dawn Brancheau
Dawn Brancheau (born April 16, 1969 in Cedar Lake , Indiana , † February 24, 2010 in Orlando , Florida ) was an American animal trainer at SeaWorld . She was killed by the orca Tilikum in February 2010 .
Life
Brancheau was the youngest of Marion and Charles LoVerde's six children. Her fascination with whales began when she was six years old when she saw a show with the whale Shamu at SeaWorld , which deeply impressed her. She attended Andrean High School in Merrillville ( Indiana ) and studied at the University of South California biology and psychology. After graduating, she started working as an animal trainer at Six Flags amusement park in New Jersey . She has been with SeaWorld since 1994. At first she worked with sea lions and sea otters . In 1996 she married Scott Brancheau. Shortly thereafter, she started training for orcas.
She was dragged into the water by the Orca Tilikum on February 24, 2010 during a show and was fatally injured. The orca was previously involved in the deaths of a trainer and a SeaWorld visitor.
The incident served as the basis for the 2013 documentary Blackfish .
A foundation was set up in Dawn Brancheau's name to look after the needs of children and animals.
Web links
- dawnsfoundation.org
- Dawn Brancheau in theInternet Movie Database(English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dawn's Story. The Dawn Brancheau Foundation, accessed July 20, 2014 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Brancheau, Dawn |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | LoVerde, Dawn (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American animal trainer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 16, 1969 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cedar Lake , Indiana |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 24, 2010 |
| Place of death | Orlando , Florida |