- A US cook died by plunging his head into a deep fryer at Olive Garden in Pennsylvania
- The man removed his clothes before the suicide attempt and was rushed to hospital with burns
- A female employee was injured trying to intervene during the incident at the restaurant
In a tragic incident, a US man killed himself by plunging his head into a deep fryer last Friday (Jan 30). The unidentified man worked as a cook at an Olive Garden restaurant in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where he suffered the fatal burn injuries. The cook was rushed to a nearby hospital to be treated for severe burns, but succumbed to the injuries.
According to Lycoming County fire and emergency medical services, the man reportedly took off his clothing before jumping "head first into the fryers". Another female employee also suffered injuries while attempting to stop the man.
Olive Garden and local law enforcement have remained tight-lipped regarding the details of the ordeal, citing it only as a 'suicide attempt.' While the location was temporarily shuttered for several days, it has now reopened to the public, as per a report in New York Post.
"This incident was a suicide attempt, and out of respect for the individual and their family, we do not release information," said trooper Lauren Lesher.
Reactions poured in on social media as users expressed deep concerns over the mental health struggles of the man, which may have prompted him to take the tragic step.
"That sounds like some severe mental illness more than anything else. Sad situation all around," said one user, while another added: "I feel so bad for the employees. I've seen what a small splash of fryer oil can do to skin, that would be so traumatising to see someone's face."
A third commented: "Life in America is so freaking bleak right now for so many. It's wild that this stuff is happening, we need to totally reformat our society for any hope of substantial mental and physical healthcare for people."
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Previous Instances
In July last year, a 19-year-old employee died after falling into a meat grinder at a Vernon burrito factory. The unnamed sanitation employee was cleaning the meat grinder during the after-hours shift when he was sucked into the grinder.
Vernon Police Department's Sergeant. Daniel Onopa informed that the incident occurred around 9:30 pm when the machine somehow got activated and sucked him inside. He said that other workers heard him scream and tried to stop the machine. When police arrived, the victim had already died.
In 2015, Bumble Bee Foods was ordered to pay $6 million to the family of an employee who was cooked in an industrial oven with tonnes of tuna. It was the biggest settlement ever in California for workplace safety violations involving a single victim.
