Orca trainer screamed ‘I don’t want to die’ as she was ripped apart by trio of bloodthirsty killer whales
AN ORCA trainer screamed "I don't want to die" as she was mauled to death by three killer whales.
Marine biology student Keltie Byrne was working part-time at Sealand of the Pacific in Canada when she was ripped apart in front of horrified onlookers in 1991.
One of the whales that attacked the 21-year-old was Tilikum. The creature suffered abuse during its 30 years in captivity and eventually killed three people in total.
Keltie was the first person killed by the 5,700kg orca when she slipped into the pool by accident.
Visitors to the attraction heard her scream: "I don't want to die."
Witnesses said Tilikum grabbed her as the two other orcas prevented the park's staff from reaching her.
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Witnesses said Keltie was able to reach the surface twice before being dragged underwater.
Trainer Karen McGee told the : "I just heard her scream my name.
"I threw the life-ring out to her. She was trying to grab the ring, but the whale, basically, wouldn't let her.
"To them it was a play session, and she was in the water."
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Steve Huxter, head of animal training at Sealand at the time, agreed: "They never had a plaything in the pool that was so interactive.
"They just got incredibly excited and stimulated."
Several hours passed before Keltie's body could be recovered.
Experts believe the whale's years in captivity made it "psychotic". Their theories were explored in the 2013 documentary Blackfish.
Tilikum was torn away from family in waters off the coast of Iceland in 1983 and put into a concrete holding tank at Hafnarfjördur Marine Zoo near Reykjavík.
It was shipped off to Sealand of the Pacific in 1984 and forced to spend 14 hours a day in a tiny 26ft pool with two older female killer whales.
Just 18 months after the incident, Sealand closed its doors for good and Tilikum was sent to SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida.
On July 6, 1999, horrified trainers found the body of a 27-year-old Daniel Dukes over Tilikum's back.
The man had visited SeaWorld the day before and stayed after the park closed.
It is not certain whether he jumped, fell, or was pulled by Tilikum into the huge tank.
A medical examiner later concluded Dukes had suffered hypothermia and drowned.
And in February 2010, Tilikum would kill for the last time.
The orca pulled her trainer Dawn Brancheau into the water during a show in front of horrified tourists.
According to reports, the 40-year-old was scalped and had her arm bitten off during the attack.
Her death made headlines across the world raising the issue of how ethical it is to keep whales in captivity.
Tilikum died in 2017 after facing serious health issues.
The orca was only one of the whales held in captivity who attacked humans.
On April 20, 1971, SeaWorld PR secretary Annette Eckis was attacked by an orca she was supposed to ride for a publicity stunt.
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Kasatka, a 30-year-old orca tried to drown her trainer Ken Peters during a show.
Orky II, who was captured aged six, tried to drown trainers at SeaWorld in San Diego, California.
