Was SeaWorld trainer Jessica Radcliffe killed by savage orca Keiko? The truth about bloody viral video
The brutal attack amassed thousands of views online but many have since questioned its authenticity.
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SeaWorld has received widespread criticism for its treatment of killer whales
Credit: Alamy
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Dawn Bancheau was tragically killed by an orca in 2010
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Dawn was regarded as the 'Poster Girl' for Seaworld
Footage shows the trainer sat balancing on the whale's nose, cheerfully waving at a crowd, before being hurtled into the air.
Spouting blood from its mouth, the killer whale then thrashes the woman around in the water.
Moments later, the huge beast appears to devour the victim in a scene so grotesque it looks straight out of a horror movie.
But now, evidence suggests the attack never happened and the clip is actually AI generated.
This comes as dozens of users shared the video online with one even demanding "justice for Jessica".
Another ominously captioned the footage: "The final smile before horror Jessica Radcliffe waves to crowd second later the whale strike".
It was sleuths at Vocal Media who fact-checked the clip and found no records of the attack ever having taken place.
Instead, many believe the video was influenced by the tragic death of Dawn Brancheau who was killed by an orca in 2021.
The renowned marine trainer was 40 when she tragically died after SeaWorld's largest killer whale Tilikum dragged her under the water at the end of a training exercise.
SeaWorld trainers were forbidden from hopping into the water with Tilikum, as they commonly did with the theme park's other orcas.
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Only a select few employees, including Dawn, had been trained to work with him from the edge of SeaWorld's pools.
Tilikum had spent most of his life performing at SeaWorld after being captured in Iceland near Reykjavik in 1983 when he was two years old.
He was moved to Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia, about a year later before moving to SeaWorld in 1992.
On February 24, 2010, for reasons only speculated, Tilikum's behaviour suddenly changed and Dawn was pulled in the water from pool's edge and died.
Who was Dawn Bancheau?
DAWN was a renowned trainer at SeaWorld before she was tragically killed by orca Tilikum in front of a crowd of horrified attendees.
Regarded as one of the world's top killer whale trainers, she was working with the 12,500lb sea creature when it grabbed her.
Dawn was dragged into the water by the orca - who had already killed two other people in separate incidents - in the attack in February 2010.
Her death stunned the world as she was seen as the 'poster girl' of SeaWorld.
Some experts have since speculated that the highly intelligent animal may have been driven mad in the confines of captivity - and the tragedy put a new focus on animal welfare at the park.
Others however suggested he was attracted to Dawn's long ponytail and was being "curious".
But for Dawn's sister Debbie, it is not the way she died that she should be remembered for - but rather for the incredible woman she was.
The tragedy meant one man's adored wife was never coming home and her mum would never see her beloved daughter again.
Dawn's community lost a fine leader and five grieving siblings didn't get to say goodbye to their youngest sister.
Some believe Tilikum had grown frustrated because he wasn't getting rewarded for tricks he was doing correctly.
Others believe the attack was intentionally carried out after years spent inside the restricted tanks.
Debbie and her four other siblings were in different locations when the news of Dawn's death made its way to her family and friends.
Reporters tried to get the family to talk in the days, weeks and months about their feelings on SeaWorld after they lost Dawn.
But the family did not want to comment on the marine park's safety operations.
She said: "We were constantly seeing pictures of her, having people give their opinions about what happened and why it happened and should trainers be in the water and should whales be in captivity."
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