A tragic incident unfolded at an Olive Garden restaurant in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where a cook suffered fatal burn injuries after reportedly plunging his head into a deep fryer.
According to Lycoming County fire and EMS services, the man removed his clothing before jumping “headfirst into the fryers.” Pennsylvania State Police confirmed the incident and classified it as a suicide attempt but did not release the individual’s identity.
Several people were slightly injured while trying to pull him from the fryer, including a female employee who suffered minor burns. The incident happened last Friday, though the victim was pronounced dead days later.
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 providing additional details could potentially reveal the worker’s identity. The Olive Garden location involved remained closed for several days following the incident, according to The Smoking Gun.
A manager at the Italian restaurant chain, which operates about 900 locations across the United States, declined to comment, citing privacy laws. “We are not able to disclose anything due to our privacy laws,” the manager said.
Emergency crews were called to the restaurant around 4 p.m. after 911 reports stated an employee had disrobed and was attempting to harm himself, according to the Daily Star.
Dispatch audio from Lycoming County fire and EMS highlighted the urgency of the situation. “I don’t have a lot of details — lot of people screaming — some kind of a burn victim,” a dispatcher said.
In another transmission, the dispatcher reported that “a male victim went headfirst into the fryers” and noted that Pennsylvania State Police were responding to the scene.
After the first ambulance arrived, a second unit was sent to assist a female employee who had suffered minor burns while staff members and at least one customer tried to stop the cook from further harming himself.
The worker was taken to the hospital but later died from his injuries.
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