Footage Shows Tragic Death of SeaWorld Trainer After Being Savagely Killed By Whale

Alexis Martinez was a Spanish animal trainer who worked with orcas at Loro Parque’s Orca Ocean in the Canary Islands. He was killed during a Christmas show rehearsal on December 24, 2009, two months before the death of Dawn Brancheau, perhaps the most famous victim of an orca attack in SeaWorld. Although the park initially called Martinez’s death an accident, the autopsy report stated he died due to fatal injuries from the attack. To make matters worse, two years prior, the park claimed another orca attack was simply an accident.

Alexis Martinez, 29, had worked with orcas for three years at Loro Parque. His partner Estefanía Luis Rodriguez, described the animal lover as “handsome, generous, and funny“. She revealed that Martinez had expressed concerns over his work at Orca Ocean. Just weeks before his death, he was saying the killer whales were becoming disobedient, disruptive, and aggressive. Initially, the park called his death an unfortunate accident and stated his body showed no sign of violence until the autopsy report included ripped organs, a crushed chest, and bite marks.

Keto, a 6,600lb male, had never seen the ocean, being born in captivity in 1995 in a SeaWorld park. He’s performed in parks in Ohio, Texas, San Diego, and the Canary Islands. It was during his third year at Loro Parque’s Orca Ocean that the incident took place. Keto was one of four orcas sent from SeaWorld on loan to Loro Parque.

Because of his experience, Martinez played a big role in training the animals for the upcoming Christmas show. One of the tricks involved a stand-on spy hop where the trainer balanced on the killer whale as he rose out of the water. However, the trick didn’t go as planned, since Martinez fell into the water when Keto leaned to one side. As per training, Martinez gave him a neutral response and no reward. Soon after, the orca earned fish as a reward after working with another trainer.

Returning to work with Keto, Martinez tried a move where he rode the orca into the pool before sliding up onto the stage. However, Keto dove too deeply, forcing Martinez to swim back on his own. However, it seemed like the orca was blocking his trainer’s path to the stage.

Martinez was instructed to swim slowly to another pool while a colleague distracted Keto. However, Keto went straight for Martinez, slamming into him, forcing him underwater, and violently toying with his body. Eventually, other trainers managed to call Keto into a different pool so they could retrieve Martinez, who had suffered fatal injuries. Tragically, his death predated Dawn Brancheau’s fatal attack in SeaWorld by only a few months.

Related Posts

This stunning picture of a “sea in the sky” takes my breath away.

A chance meeting with a rare weather scene inspired Theresa Birgin Lucas to take a picture that went viral and still amazes people today. The picture, which…

11-year-old dies because of online trend – now family is warning others about the household item that took his life

Children do not always understand the repercussions of following trends they discover online, not knowing that sometimes they can actually be deadly. This family is undergoing the…

Train Station Kept Open for One Student in Japan

Train Station Kept Open for One Student in Japan Hokkaido, Japan – In a heartwarming tale of dedication and community spirit, the Kyu-Shirataki train station in rural Hokkaido…

What a tragedy! The whole country is mourning the passing.

PAINFUL LOSS 18-year-old rodeo roper Ace Patton Ashford dies in freak accident with horse, just weeks before he was supposed to reach a lifelong goal. A YOUNG…

Tourists’ food attracts three sharks, leading to an attack on a young boy in the Bahamas

Finley Downer, an eight-year-old boy from Kettering, Northamptonshire, suffered a horrific attack by at least three nurse sharks while on holiday in the Bahamas. With bites on…

24-Foot Shark Washes Ashore in UK, Forklift Removes Carcass

24-FOOT SHARKWashes Ashore in UK …CARCASS FORKLIFTED OFF BEACH!!! The classic line from “Jaws” is “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” but in this case, they needed…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *