Whale linked to Edmonton woman’s death kills trainer

A Florida SeaWorld trainer died on Wednesday after a killer whale dragged her into its tank.

Spectators say that the whale allegedly grabbed the trainer after she slipped into the pool and appeared to thrash her around.

Local Florida television stations also reported that the whale was involved in another trainer death six months prior to being moved to SeaWorld.

Tilikum was also one of three whales involved in the death of Edmonton native Keltie Byrne at Victoria’s Sealand in 1991. The whales reportedly dragged Byrne under water after she slipped and fell in the pool.

In 1999, shortly after arriving at Orlando’s SeaWorld a man’s naked body was found draped over the whale, scratched and bruised.

Scantily clad, 27 year-old Daniel Dukes had snuck past park security and had jumped, fallen or was pulled into the whale’s tank.

An autopsy determined that Dukes had died of hypothermia, however it was also revealed that Tilikum had bitten the man and torn off his shorts.

Tilikum means ‘friend’ in Native American Chinook.