ORLANDO, Fla. — SeaWorld and the family of a trainer slain by a killer whale want to suppress video footage of the attack.
Dawn Brancheau was killed two weeks ago after being thrashed underwater before a horrified audience.
DOCUMENT: SeaWorld Liability Waiver VIDEO REPORT: Family Fights To Suppress Video 911 CALLS: Employee Calls For Help HOME VIDEO: Whale Just Before Incident TRAINER WITH WHALES: Raw Video | Images TRAINER PROFILE: Dawn Brancheau's Story
SeaWorld's cameras recorded the death, and the tapes were voluntarily turned over to law enforcement.
Once the Orange County Sheriff's Office concludes its investigation, the material would become public under Florida law.
Brancheau's family said Monday through a spokesman that public airing of the killing would only worsen their grief.
"They asked us to help them in this effort and that's exactly what we're doing," said SeaWorld VP of Communications Fred Jacobs.
They could seek a court injunction to stop the release, at least temporarily. The family has been consulting the lawyer who represented Dale Earnhardt's widow in a court fight over his autopsy photos.
WFTV has obtained a copy of the liability waiver SeaWorld's contractors have to sign (read waiver) . It states there might be "dangerous activity, which involves known and unknown risks of serious personal injury, not limited to bites, scratches, abrasions, lacerations."
SeaWorld has not decided whether a whale that killed its trainer by dragging her into the water will keep performing, an official said Tuesday.
In the days after Dawn Brancheau died, the park's top official pledged that the killer whale named Tilikum would return to SeaWorld's shows. But park spokesman Fred Jacobs said Tuesday that nothing will be decided about the whale's future until after a thorough review of the accident.
"On reflection, we really can't say anything about Tilikum or the other killer whales until the review is complete," said park spokesman Fred Jacobs. "We do feel that it is likely Tilikum will return to the shows but to promise that is premature."
Tilikum has also been involved in two other deaths, one of a trainer at a Canadian park and another of a man who sneaked past security and was found draped over the whale's body at SeaWorld.
Previous Stories: March 4, 2010: 911 Calls Released In SeaWorld Trainer Death
February 28, 2010: SeaWorld's Whale Show Resumes After Trainer Death February 26, 2010: Ex-Head Trainer At SeaWorld: "She Made A Mistake" February 26, 2010: SeaWorld Faces Major Public Relations Challenge February 25, 2010: Autopsy: SeaWorld Trainer Died From "Traumatic Injuries" February 25, 2010: PETA Speaks Out On SeaWorld Trainer Death February 25, 2010: Personal Story: SeaWorld Trainer Dawn Brancheau February 25, 2010: Should Tilikum Be Returned To The Wild? February 25, 2010: Slain Whale Trainer Had True Passion For Job February 25, 2010: Trainer Killed At SeaWorld Loved Killer Whales February 25, 2010: SeaWorld Guests React Day After Whale Attack February 25, 2010: Whale Pulls Trainer Off Platform By Hair In Fatal Attack February 24, 2010: Whale Kills Female Trainer At SeaWorld's Shamu Stadium