Video shows SeaWorld trainer screaming for help as killer whales drag her underwater

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By VT

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A horrifying video shows the exact moment a SeaWorld trainer is dragged underwater in an attack by a pair of 6,000-pound killer whales.

Tamarie Tollison, 28, was said to have let out a "blood curdling" scream as two orcas, named Orkid and Splash, grabbed her by the foot and proceeded to drag her underwater.

Tollison is initially seen sitting on the edge of a tank as she dangles her foot in the pool as the orcas swim nearby.

Then, out of nowhere, the unsuspecting woman is dragged into the pool as she attempts to keep hold of the gate of the tank at San Diego's SeaWorld - a video from February 24, 2010, shows.

Since the alarming incident took place, SeaWorld has changed its policy, and trainers are now not allowed to swim with the mammals.

In any case, the moment the trainer was dragged into the water was included in the 2013 documentary Blackfish.

Former trainer John Hargrove, who took part in the film, recounted: "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."

Tollison did survive the near-fatal attack after another trainer, Robin Sheets, released a third killer whale into the tank - the more "dominant" Kasatka. Kasatka's presence forced the other two orcas to let go of Tollison.

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Credit: ZUMA Press Inc / Alamy

Hargrove went on to explain that Tollison's arm was "u-shaped" from a compound fracture and she is "very lucky to be alive, that’s for sure." The video shows the distressed woman being helped out of the pool moments after the terrifying encounter.

This certainly wasn't the first time Orkid, who weighed 5900 lbs and was born in captivity, attacked a trainer.

In 2006, a trainer was working on a show with Orkid and another killer whale, Sumar. While the unnamed trainer was in the pool, Orkid came up "behind him and grabbed him by his left ankle. She rolled and pushed him underwater nearly to the bottom of the pool." The trainer was forced underwater for about half a minute.

Featured image credit: Jan Carroll / Alamy

Video shows SeaWorld trainer screaming for help as killer whales drag her underwater

vt-author-image

By VT

Article saved!Article saved!

A horrifying video shows the exact moment a SeaWorld trainer is dragged underwater in an attack by a pair of 6,000-pound killer whales.

Tamarie Tollison, 28, was said to have let out a "blood curdling" scream as two orcas, named Orkid and Splash, grabbed her by the foot and proceeded to drag her underwater.

Tollison is initially seen sitting on the edge of a tank as she dangles her foot in the pool as the orcas swim nearby.

Then, out of nowhere, the unsuspecting woman is dragged into the pool as she attempts to keep hold of the gate of the tank at San Diego's SeaWorld - a video from February 24, 2010, shows.

Since the alarming incident took place, SeaWorld has changed its policy, and trainers are now not allowed to swim with the mammals.

In any case, the moment the trainer was dragged into the water was included in the 2013 documentary Blackfish.

Former trainer John Hargrove, who took part in the film, recounted: "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."

Tollison did survive the near-fatal attack after another trainer, Robin Sheets, released a third killer whale into the tank - the more "dominant" Kasatka. Kasatka's presence forced the other two orcas to let go of Tollison.

size-full wp-image-1263164664
Credit: ZUMA Press Inc / Alamy

Hargrove went on to explain that Tollison's arm was "u-shaped" from a compound fracture and she is "very lucky to be alive, that’s for sure." The video shows the distressed woman being helped out of the pool moments after the terrifying encounter.

This certainly wasn't the first time Orkid, who weighed 5900 lbs and was born in captivity, attacked a trainer.

In 2006, a trainer was working on a show with Orkid and another killer whale, Sumar. While the unnamed trainer was in the pool, Orkid came up "behind him and grabbed him by his left ankle. She rolled and pushed him underwater nearly to the bottom of the pool." The trainer was forced underwater for about half a minute.

Featured image credit: Jan Carroll / Alamy