Featured Image Credit: Magnolia Pictures
Topics: Animals
Anish Vij
Footage has resurfaced of the terrifying moment a SeaWorld trainer screamed for help as she was grabbed by the foot and dragged under water by two killer whales.
I dread to think of anything quite as scary as being attacked by a couple of 6,000lb orcas, but that's exactly what happened when one trainer got too close for comfort.
Watch the incident unfold below:
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On February 24, 2010, Tamarie Tollison was dangling her feet in the tank water before she was viciously dragged by her foot into the water by the two whales, Orkid and Splash.
The moment the the 28-year-old trainer was dragged into the water, crying for help, was captured on camera and included in the 2013 documentary Blackfish.
Recalling the scary experience, former trainer John Hargrove, said: “She’s under the water, Splash and Orkid both have her, she’s totally out of view, no other trainer knows that this is happening.
“People start to scream. You hear Tamarie just scream out ‘somebody help me’ and the way she screamed it was just blood curdling.
"She knew she was going to die.”
Thankfully, brave Tollison was able to survive the attack after quick-thinking trainer, Robin Sheets, released a third, more dominant orca, named Kasatka, into the tank, who's presence forced the other orcas to let go.
The reason behind the Orca's aggression was apparently put down to it being in 'solitary confinement', which allegedly caused the sea creatures to suffer from 'physical and psychological damage'.
In the documentary, the 49-year-old claimed: "Physical and psychological damage endured by human prisoners in solitary confinement is well documented. Orcas at amusement parks such as SeaWorld suffer the same fate.
"I can tell you from my 14 years of experience that I personally witnessed the orcas – as well as other dolphins and marine animals – suffer the same physical and psychological trauma.
"Imagine spending your entire life trapped in a small enclosure."
He said: "That is exactly what we did at SeaWorld. The main takeaway with creating a hybrid orca is that you truly have no idea what you've created because they don't exist in nature. So all things are possible."
A SeaWorld spokesperson said: "There is nothing new in these claims. The wild characterizations from this former employee – who has not worked at SeaWorld in any capacity for 10 years – are designed to get clicks, not communicate facts or science.
"The fact is SeaWorld is independently accredited, reviewed, and certified by both federal wildlife agencies and independent third party experts to uphold the highest standards of animal care.
"Much of what the world knows about killer whales today is because of what has been learned through nearly 60 years of care and study of orcas in accredited zoological facilities such as SeaWorld.
"That knowledge and expertise continues to directly benefit the understanding of the health and conservation of wild orca populations. SeaWorld ended its killer whale breeding program in March 2016."
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