Family Fights To Seal Pictures Of Whale Trainer Death

ORLANDO (CBS4) – It's been more than a year and half since a SeaWorld Orlando trainer was killed in an accident with a killer whale but the family of Dawn Brancheau is still fighting to keep images of her from being released.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Dawn Brancheau's husband, mother, brother and sister want to keep the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration from publicly releasing copies of videos or photographs depicting the death or efforts to revive her. The family also doesn't want any images displayed in public during a Sept. 19 hearing. They've asked a federal judge to keep the images private.

During the hearing, SeaWorld will challenge the findings of the agency's six-month investigation into Brancheau's death.

Brancheau died Feb. 24, 2010, during a show featuring Tilikum, a 6-ton killer whale.

Lawyers for the family say releasing the images would serve no public purpose.

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