JAMIE SPECIAL REPORTS FROM THE INVESTIGATORS. AND PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY WITH ERIK VON
ANCKEN. THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 6
GETTING RESULTS.
>> MATT: A TRAINER AT SEAWORLD
ORLANDO RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL
AFTER SHE WAS BITTEN BY A
KILLER WHALE. NOW SHE
SURVIVED. WHAT ALL NEW AT 6
NEWS, 6 INVESTIGATOR ERIK
SANDOVAL IS UNCOVERING. THIS
INCIDENT SPARKED A NEW FEDERAL
INVESTIGATION.
>> INTO THE THEME PARK. HE
JOINS US NOW LIVE IN STUDIO
WITH WHAT HE FOUND OUT. ERIC?
YEAH, GOOD EVENING, GUY.
SEAWORLD. YOU KNOW, NEVER WENT
PUBLIC WITH THIS INFORMATION.
TOOK US MONTHS ACTUALLY TO
SECURE THIS REPORT FROM THE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
ADMINISTRATION OR OSHA WE
FOUND OUT THAT EVEN THOUGH
THIS TRAINER WAS INJURED,
INVESTIGATORS DETERMINED
SEAWORLD DID NOT VIOLATE ANY
WORKPLACE SAFETY RULES.
>> JUNE 13TH 2022. RIGHT AFTER
Plus ONE OF THE ORCA SHOWS LIKE
THIS ONE THAT IT’S KNOWN FOR.
ONE OF SEAWORLD ORLANDO’S
KILLER WHALE TRAINERS IS
RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL AFTER
ONE OF THE WHALES. THEIR HAND.
>> ACCORDING TO A REPORT
COMPILED BY OSHA, 15 YEAR-OLD
MALIA WEIGHING 5500 POUNDS HAD
SOME DEBRIS OF PAINT AND FOOD
SHIPS IN HER TV AND ON THE
ROOF OF HER MOUTH. THE TRAINER
USED TO PRESSURIZE SPRAY
BOTTLE TO RINSE. MILLIE IS
MOUTH TO DISLODGE THE PAINT
CHIP, BUT GOT WITHIN THE 3
FOOT. STAY AWAY. RULES. THE
INVESTIGATOR WROTE THE SPRAY
OF WATER MUST’VE TICKLED THE
WHALE, CAUSING IT TO CLOSE ITS
MOUTH WITH THE TRAINERS ARM
INSIDE.
>> THE TRAINER WAS TAKEN TO
ORLANDO REGIONAL MEDICAL
CENTER RECEIVED REPORT THEY
UNDERWENT SURGERY FOR MULTIPLE
FRACTURES TO THE FOREARM AND
THE WRIST. THE TRAINERS
SURVIVED.
>> THE INCIDENT IS A REMINDER
OF WHAT HAPPENED. ERODE,
THOUGH, BACK IN 2010. THAT IS
WHEN TRAINER DAWN BRANCHEAU
WAS KILLED BY TILIKUM, THE
KILLER WHALE IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE SHOW. IN THAT CASE, OSHA
FINED SEAWORLD FOR 3 SAFETY
VIOLATIONS. IN THIS CASE,
THOUGH, OSHA’S FINAL REPORT
INDICATED NO CITATIONS WILL BE
ISSUED FOR THIS HAZARD
CLAIMING NO SPECIFIC OSHA
STANDARDS APPLY AND THE AGENCY
WAS NOT INVOKING WHAT’S CALLED
THE GENERAL DUTY CLAUSE.
>> THE GENERAL IDEA IS TO KEEP
THE WORKPLACE SAFE. SO
EMPLOYERS HAVE AN OBLIGATION
UNDER THE GENERAL DUTY CLAUSE
TO KEEP A WILL WORK PLACE FREE
FROM HAZARDS THAT ARE LIKELY
TO CAUSE DEATH OR GREAT BODILY
HARM. AND NEWS 6 LEGAL ANALYST
STEVE KRAMER SAYS THAT SINCE
SEAWORLD HAD PROCEDURES IN
PLACE TO CLEAN THE WHALE’S
MOUTH.
>> AND THE TRAINERS TRADE
WITHIN THE STAY AWAY. SEAWORLD
IS NOT RESPONSIBLE HERE.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE WE MAY HAVE
HAD AN EMPLOYEE THAT JUST MAY
BACKED OFF THE CUFF, TRIED TO
DO THEIR BEST AND SITUATION.
MAYBE THE WAS GOOD JUDGMENT.
BUT YOU DEAL WITH AN ANIMAL
AND ANIMALS CAN BE
UNPREDICTABLE.
>> NEW 6 CONTACTED SEE ROAD
AND WE ASKED IF ANY ADDITIONAL
PROTOCOLS HAVE BEEN
IMPLEMENTED. IT.
>> THEY DIDN’T ANSWER THAT.
BUT A SPOKESPERSON DID GIVE US
A STATEMENT WHICH SAID IN PART
THE SAFETY OF OUR ANIMALS AND
OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR PRIORITIES
ALL THINGS THAT WE DO. WE HAVE
EXTENSIVE TRAINING AND
PROCEDURES IN PLACE THAT FOCUS
ON MAXIMIZING SAFETY FOR
ANIMALS AND EMPLOYEES,
INCLUDING INTERACTIONS BETWEEN
TRAINERS AND THE ANIMALS IN
OUR CARE.
>> SO WE WENT THROUGH ALL OF
SEAWORLD. ORLANDO’S OSHA
RECORDS. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS
ONE IS THE ONLY INCIDENT THAT
WE COULD FIND WERE A HUMAN WAS
INJURED BY ONE OF THE PARK’S
ANIMALS SINCE DAWN BRANCHEAU
WAS KILLED BACK IN 2010. THE
ONLY OTHER INCIDENT THAT THEY
INVESTIGATED CONCERNED A
CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT. WE HAVE
SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT DOWN
TO ONE. THE SEAWORLD HAVE
SPECIFIC RULES FOR THEIR
CLEANING OUT THESE WHALES
MOUNT. YEAH. AND THAT’S
BASICALLY WHAT ALL THIS BOIL
DOWN TO UNDER THOSE REPORT
BASICALLY SPELLS OUT THOSE
RULES. THESE TRAINERS KNOW TO
SIGNAL FOR THE WHALE TO OPEN
ITS MOUTH AND TO USE ONE OF I
THINK THEY HAD 3 METHODS TO
FLUSH OUT THE DEBRIS. THEY CAN
USE IT. HE FLUSHED IT LIKE A
WATER PICK. THEY DEVELOPED A
WATER HOSE AND A SQUIRT
BOTTLE. BUT YOU KNOW, THE
BOTTOM LINE HERE IS THEY HAVE
THE RULE IN PLACE NOT TO GO
WITHIN THE 3 FOOT, STAY AWAY
ZONE. AND THAT IS WHAT THIS