US court dumps negligence suit against SeaWorld
(AFP) – 1 hour ago
MIAMI — A US judge in Florida has dismissed a negligence suit brought by the parents of a boy who witnessed the 2010 killing of a trainer by an orca at a SeaWorld park in Orlando, local media said Thursday.
Judge Julie O'Kane ruled that Suzanne and Todd Connell had "failed to state a cause of action against SeaWorld for negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress," the Orlando Sentinel reported.
The judge dismissed the suit last week without prejudice, meaning the Connells cannot refile their claim.
On February 24, 2010, the orca Tilikum grabbed 40-year-old trainer Dawn Brancheau by the ponytail and dragged her into the water at the end of a SeaWorld show, drowning her.
Tilikum -- a five-tonne male killer whale linked to two other human deaths since 1991 -- had been in captivity for 27 years at the time of the attack and is the largest killer whale on display at the Orlando SeaWorld.
While O'Kane said she had "no doubt" that the Connells' son had been traumatized by the event, she said she could not find any other case in which a complete stranger to the injured party had proceeded with a negligence claim.
Tilikum went back to work in SeaWorld shows in March this year.
The park says it adopted a series of new safety measures after the incident to better protect its trainers.
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