A trip to SeaWorld turned into a scary ordeal when an 8-year-old girl was bitten by a dolphin. The rare event was caught on video.
Jillian Thomas of Alpharetta, Georgia was visiting SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida with her family on Nov. 21 when she was feeding one of the dolphins in the Dolphin Cove enclosure. She was holding a carton of fish in her tiny hand when suddenly the dolphin leaped up at the carton and took her whole hand it its mouth.
"It really, really hurt," Jillian said in an interview Monday with ABC's "Good Morning America."
The dolphin left three puncture wounds in Thomas' hand and her father, Jamie Thomas was definitely concerned.
When he watched the dolphin attack his daughter, he had "instead fear," as he told GMA. He thought he was going to have to jump into the pool to save his daughter as it seemed like the dolphin was about to pull her in before letting go.
A SeaWorld employee was aware of the incident and offered assistance.
"They asked if she wanted first aid, and I said 'she's bleeding' so yes, we want first aid," Jamie told GMA.
"Educators and animal care staff were at the attraction when this happened and immediately connected with the family," SeaWorld said in a statement. "In addition, a member of our health services team was in the area at Dolphin Cove and quickly responded and treated the young girl."
While Jillian was injured in the incident, she's more concerned over the dolphin that bit her. She prays that the animal doesn't get sick from eating the paper carton that contained the fish.
Her parents posted a video of the ordeal on YouTube to make other parents aware of what can happen as the feeding exhibit at the park. They feel that the park doesn't do a good job of warning parents and children that the animals may bite.
"We felt powerless," the girl's father, Jamie Thomas told CNN. "We thought, look, we've got this video, let's make it public, and let's try to put some pressure on SeaWorld to make some changes."
Guests are advised to keep the paper cartons should stay on the wall and not be picked up, but Jamie Thomas argues that there was no clear explanation of why that should be done.
"Our guests are given clear instructions on how to feed the dolphins in an appropriate and safe way," SeaWorld spokesperson Becca Bides told CNN. "... Unfortunately, there are times when instructions are not followed."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
