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Ways to honor Daniel Dukes's life and legacy. This past October has been a whirlwind of, A story of loss and human betrayal As soon I enter the stadium, I see her. Little is known about Daniel P. Dukes in his early life. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www . Dukes, however, had no history of sexual deviancy and his autopsy reported zero evidence of drugs in his system at the time of his death. The experienced marine trainer said the nature of the animal's captivity made SeaWorld's orcas much more dangerous than they would be if they lived in the wild. What happened to Tilikum, the orca that killed his SeaWorld trainer? [26], Dukes' parents filed a lawsuit against Seaworld two months after their son's death. On July 6, 1999, eight years after the first kill, SeaWorld orca trainers found the body of Daniel Dukes on Tilikum's back. The whale had, for example, gnawed on the man's penis until it fell off, appearing to have eaten the genitalia as it was never discovered in the water, and left numerous contusions and bruises on Dukes's corpse. Daniel Dukes snuck past security and made his was into Tilikum's tank at the SeaWorld park in Florida where he was found mauled to death. [27], The 2013 documentary Blackfish was the first media to explore Dukes' death extensively. He just didnt quite seem to fit within societys box and its idea of acceptable behavior. 5 Tilikum was responsible for three human deaths. I will him. . Find Daniel Dukes obituaries and memorials at Legacy.com [52] The film and a subsequent online petition led to several popular musical groups cancelling performances at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens' "Bands, Brew & BBQ" event in 2014.[53][54]. '', See the article in its original context from. It is possible that Dukes' death may have been captured on security camera footage. Dukes is known for the controversy surrounding his death; SeaWorld has consistently maintained that the man was a homeless vagrant who simply climbed into Tilikum's pool and drowned, while Dukes's coroner's report, along with animal rights advocates for Tilikum, have pointed out that Dukes's corpse was found severely mutilated by the whale. Shortly after the incident, the whale was sold to SeaWorld. Brancheau's death is the third linked to Tilikum. Although Dougherty discovered Dukes, he wasnt the first person on scene. By New York Times News Service. Daniel Dukes passed away at age 83 years old on September 9, 2000. As a result of their matriarchal social structure, Tilikum was abused by Haida II and Nootka IV who behaved aggressively towards him, including forcing him into a smaller medical pool where trainers kept him for protection.[12]. Officials say yesterday he ignored warning signs and went head first into the . ", "Everyone at North Dallas Funeral Home was very professional, kind, and caring, in all steps of the process from the first phone call to the service held at their location. . His history combined with the fact that he was in the park illegally was answer enough for many people, SeaWorld included. He was 43 and a resident of Mount Carmel Care Center in Lenox. By Mariomassone Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30868819. The following injuries were sustained prior to his death: The following were sustained POST mortem: Now while it may be seen that Tilikums behavior escalated after Dukes died, he certainly didnt just sit in the corner and watch Dukes drown - while his official cause of death is hypothermia and drowning, the many many grazes (abrasions) and bruises (contusions) covering most of the body sustained prior to death suggest Tilikum was being quite aggressive with him, and certainly would not have helped him not to drown.