ORLANDO, Fla. — She was the face of SeaWorld; her face was in the theme park's promotional videos embracing the animals she loved. Dawn Brancheau devoted her life to studying killer whales and spent more than a decade training the animal that killed her Wednesday.
Those who knew Dawn weren’t surprised at her success. She was well-respected and the most experienced trainer for SeaWorld's biggest attraction.
Dawn's sister, Diana Gross, said she was living a dream that began when she was just nine years old, when she saw the killer whales for the first during a family trip to SeaWorld.
"She came home, told my dad, ‘This is what I was going to do’ and she did it," Diana Gross said.
Dawn’s accomplishments began back at Andrean High School in Merrillville Indiana. She was homecoming queen and student body president. Dawn was known for her love of animals, even back then.
Fellow animal lover Jack Hanna knew Dawn and respected her as a trainer and a person.
"Dawn was a beautiful person. I've done several shows with her, with Tilly even in the background. And I could tell you now that she would want her work to continue," Hanna said.
Dawn worked at SeaWorld for 16 years, but her career began long before that.
"She had a job working with the sea lions and dolphins in New Jersey and another job in Mississippi with dolphins,” Gross said.
But for Dawn, SeaWorld was the crown jewel.
"When she got her interview at SeaWorld, it was the happiest day in our family. We were so proud of her," Gross described.
Dawn was the youngest of six children and talked to her family often about her passion for the killer whales that she loved like children.
"She talked about it her whole life. She knew she wanted to work with the animals and SeaWorld was her dream," she said.
Dawn is survived by her husband Scott and her mother, who lives in Tampa.
Dawn's sister said funeral services are pending, but they hope to bury her in her home state of Indiana.
Cox Media Group
