SeaWorld Trainer Screamed ‘Somebody Help Me’ As She Was Dragged Down By Two Massive 6,000lb Orcas

Scary footage of the attack on a SeaWorld trainer who was carried down by two massive killer whales shows the horrific injuries she sustained.

Tamarie Tollison, 28, was being drawn in by two orcas, Orkid and Splash, while horrified onlookers watched. She was sitting on the edge of the orca tank with her foot in the water.

SeaWorld

The incident occurred at San Diego SeaWorld, and according to the story told in the film Blackfish, Tollison was thrown around in the water and let out "blood-curdling screams" as she pleaded for aid while clinging to the tank's railing.

Former trainer John Hargrove, who recently accused SeaWorld of engaging in a harsh breeding program to produce hybrid "Jurassic World"-type orcas, said: "At this point, Tamarie knows she's in trouble.”

SeaWorld

“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 helps me’ and the way she screamed it was just blood-curdling.”

"She knew she was going to die.”

SeaWorld

But thanks to another trainer's "smart decision" to grab the gate's chain to a pool containing a more dominating orca named Kasatka than Orkid, the attacking whale was forced to let the trainer go, saving the trainer's life.

Tollison was said to be "very lucky to be alive, that's for sure," as a complicated fracture had left his arm in a "u-shape."

Alamy

Trainers are apparently no longer permitted to swim with the aptly named killer whales at SeaWorld, and the company claims that these changes to its procedures have prevented the animals from becoming hostile because of the daily "positive reinforcement" they receive.

Last week, Hargrove's unfavorable allegations that the park was breeding hybrid orcas made headlines.

(Image: X02032)

The former trainer told The Sun that the park was like the movie Jurassic World stating: "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 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 continue to directly benefit the understanding of the health and conservation of wild orca populations. SeaWorld ended its killer whale breeding program in March 2016."