Bumble Bee Employee Dies After Being Cooked In Oven

SANTA FE SPRINGS - A seafood plant employee died Thursday after he was cooked in an oven in an industrial accident, authorities said Friday.

Bumble Bee Foods officials identified the man as Jose Melena, a 6-year employee of the business. He was 62 years old, according to Whittier police.

The incident took place shortly before 7 a.m. at Bumble Bee Foods, 13100 Arctic Circle, Whittier police officials said in a written statement.

The initial investigation indicated that, "he was fatally injured when he was cooked in an oven," California Division of Occupational Safety and Health spokeswoman Erika Monterroza said. Cal-OSHA has launched an investigation into the the circumstances of what officials are calling an accident.

The cooking device that injured the man was described in coroner's documents as a "steamer machine," Dietz said.

It was unclear how the man ended up inside the industrial cooker.

"This is a horrendous tragedy," Monterroza said.

Rescuers who responded to a 9-1-1 call pronounced the man dead at the scene, police said.

In a written statement, Bumble Bee Foods vice president of human resources Pat Menke expressed condolences to Melena's family.

"The entire Bumble Bee Foods family is saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Melena family," he said.

"Operations at Bumble Bee Foods' Santa Fe Springs processing plant
have been suspended since yesterday morning to allow for a thorough investigation," Menke said. "We expect to be able to resume operations on Monday."

By OSHA policy, an investigation is to be completed within six months, Monterroza said. It will include visits to the tuna-canning plant, extensive interviews and a review of company safety documentation.

"Once all of the facts are gathered, at that point, a determination will be made if California health and safety regulations were violated," she said.

A finding of violations would result in civil penalties assessed against the employer, Monterroza said. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office will determine whether criminal charges are warranted.


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Man Dies After Winning Cockroach Eating Contest

MIAMI — The winner of a roach-eating contest in South Florida died shortly after downing dozens of the live bugs as well as worms, authorities said Monday.

About 30 contestants ate the insects during Friday night's contest at Ben Siegel Reptile Store in Deerfield Beach about 40 miles north of Miami. The grand prize was a python.

Edward Archbold, 32, of West Palm Beach became ill shortly after the contest ended and collapsed in front of the store, according to a Broward Sheriff's Office statement released Monday. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Authorities were waiting for results of an autopsy to determine a cause of death.

AP

Edward Archbold competing in a roach-eating contest in Deerfield Beach, Fla.

AP

Archbold died shortly after downing dozens of the live bugs as well as worms, authorities said Monday.

"Unless the roaches were contaminated with some bacteria or other pathogens, I don't think that cockroaches would be unsafe to eat," said Michael Adams, professor of entomology at the University of California at Riverside, who added that he has never heard of someone dying after consuming roaches. "Some people do have allergies to roaches," he said, "but there are no toxins in roaches or related insects."

None of the other contestants became ill, the sheriff's office said.

There was no updated phone number listed for Archbold in West Palm Beach.

"We feel terribly awful," said store owner Ben Siegel, who added that Archbold did not appear to be sick before the contest. "He looked like he just wanted to show off and was very nice," Siegel said, adding that Archbold was "the life of the party."

Siegel said Archbold was selling the exotic prize to a friend who took him to the contest.

The Miami Herald reported the grand prize has been put aside in Archbold's name and will be given to his estate.

A statement from Siegel's attorney said all the participants signed waivers "accepting responsibility for their participation in this unique and unorthodox contest."

The bugs consumed were from an inventory of insects "that are safely and domestically raised in a controlled environment as food for reptiles."

Photographer Killed Photographing Bear

A San Diego man was killed by a grizzly Friday at Denali National Park in Alaska, the first fatal bear attack in the park's history.

Rangers told reporters that Richard White, 49, photographed the animal for eight minutes Friday before the attack.

"It's an extremely rare event, and it's not common that we even have injuries related to bears," park spokeswoman Maureen McLaughlin told the Anchorage Daily News. "We don't see a lot, and we think some of that is due to our education."

Officials told the paper it took more than 24 hours to recover White's body. Hikers came across bloody shards of clothes and other personal effects and called rangers, who began the search. Officials reviewed White's camera and saw the photos he took of the bear, which they said was "grazing and not acting aggressively."

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/08/25/2599545/hiker-killed-by-grizzly-bear-in.html#storylink=cpy

According to the Associated Press:

[White] was backpacking alone along the Toklat River on Friday afternoon when he came within 50 yards of the bear, far closer than the quarter-mile of separation required by park rules, officials said.

A state trooper shot and killed the male bear on Saturday. Investigators examined the bear’s stomach contents, looked at White’s photos and used other tests Saturday evening to confirm that it was the animal that killed White, park officials said in a statement Saturday night.

White’s remains were recovered Saturday evening and were being sent to the medical examiner in Anchorage.

There’s no indication that the man’s death was the result of anything other than a bear attack, investigators said, adding that it’s the first known fatal mauling in the park’s nearly century-long history.

— Shelby Grad and Andrew Blankstein