Popular meals chain employee dies after ‘falling head first into deep fryer’
Workers and customers at Olive Garden struggled with the restaurant’s cook as they tried to stop him harming himself in a distressing incident that left a female employee injured
Olive Garden has around 900 branches across the US [stock](Image: Google Maps)
A restaurant employee has died after suffering severe burn injuries when he apparently shoved his head into a deep fryer.
The disturbing incident unfolded last Friday at the Olive Garden in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where the man worked as a cook. Authorities say the employee attempted to seriously harm himself while on the job, triggering a chaotic emergency response.
Pennsylvania State Police confirmed the incident, describing it as a suicide incident, but declined to provide further details. Trooper Lauren Lesher said: “This incident was a suicide attempt and out of respect for the individual and their family, we do not release information.”
She added that releasing additional details about the incident could lead to the worker’s identity being discovered. The Olive Garden involved was closed for several days following the death, reports The Smoking Gun.
A manager at the Italian restaurant chain, which has around 900 branches across the US, said staff could not comment, noting that, “we are not able to disclose anything due to our privacy laws”.
Police and emergency crews were dispatched to the restaurant at approximately 4pm on the day of the tragedy after receiving 911 calls reporting that an employee had removed his clothing and was attempting to harm himself.
Audio from Lycoming County fire and EMS dispatch captured the frantic nature of the call. “I don’t have a lot of details – lot of people screaming – some kind of a burn victim,” a dispatcher was heard saying.
In a follow-up transmission, the dispatcher reported that “a male victim went head first into the fryers,” adding that Pennsylvania State Police were responding to the scene.
After the arrival of the first ambulance crew, a second unit was sent out to the restaurant to treat a female worker who was suffering from minor burns.
She became injured as workers, and at least one customer, attempted to stop the cook from suffering additional self-inflicted burns. The worker was rushed to hospital but sadly later died of his injuries.
Elsewhere, last July an Italian restaurant waiter died in a freak accident after choking to death on a piece of mozzarella during his meal break. Adriano Poponessi, 59,was working at a beachside eatery at the Carbonelli resort in Sabaudia, Italy, during a music festival.
But during his rest, a piece of the chewy cheese became lodged in his windpipe. His distraught co-workers raised the alarm and he was soon airlifted to hospital, but he was already suffering a massive heart attack and died an hour later.
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