Trainers have not been allowed in the water since this disturbing event.
Joanne Webber, 26, had been training orcas for five years at the time of the accident in 1987. A 2,000-kilogram orca fell on her and broke her neck while she was in the tank. The orca in question, Kandu V, had been involved in several incidents prior to the one that injured Webber.
John Hargrove, a former SeaWorld trainer featured in the 2013 documentary Blackfish, told The Sun Online that, although he wasn’t employed by the park at the time, he learned of the incident later. He said Webber felt intense pain and the trainer screamed “I think my neck is broken” as she tried to get out of the pool to save herself. 
SeaWorld has since banned trainers from swimming with orcas. The lawsuit also claims that staff members aggravated her condition by advising her to remove her wetsuit in the park, which delayed her medical treatment to avoid damaging the wetsuit. However, he was not informed. 
She said that Kandu V often showed extreme aggression when frustrated, sometimes biting and assaulting other whales.
Video: A SeaWorld trainer screamed “my neck is broken” after being struck by the most dangerous orca