Parking Garage Tragedy

A Financial District parking-garage attendant was crushed to death yesterday when an SUV rolled off an elevator lift and pinned him to the ground, cops said.

The 1999 Mercury Mountaineer was mistakenly left in neutral when it rolled off the lift, fell about 6 feet, and landed on Victoriano “Victor” Vizcaino, 45, of The Bronx, according to police.

Devastated relatives of the Dominican immigrant rushed to the Icon Parking garage on Barclay Street near Church Street, where co-workers were “incredibly shaken,” said Cesar Callan, a customer.

“He was a super, super guy.”

Via: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/parking_garage_tragedy_vUQScE3293YyE6PQoLQKxI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Manhattan

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.


Read more: Bumble Bee tuna plant employee dies after accidentally being cooked in oven - Whittier Daily Newshttp://www.whittierdailynews.com/ci_21758094/officials-worker-dies-industrial-accident-at-bumble-bee#ixzz29DIVqXLu

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

Former Coroner Dies After Being Struck By Pet Llama

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio - A woman died from her injuries after being struck by her pet llama.

Florence Lenahan, 74, was hospitalized on Tuesday evening after dispatchers received a call from her friend saying that she was run over by her pet llama, Baby Doll.

Lenahan suffered arm and head injuries in the incident, which occurred shortly after 5 p.m. in the 2000 block of Lewis Center road.

According to a family friend, the woman went out to see Baby Doll, who ran toward her and slipped, knocking Lenahan's head into the ground. Lenahen had nursed Baby Doll since she was born after the llama's mother rejected her.

Officials from Riverside Methodist Hospital said that Lenahen died Tuesday evening.

Lenahan was the former Delaware County Coroner. She served from 1986 until 1992.

A family friend said that Baby Doll, as well as Lenahan's other animals, would find new homes. They currently are in the care of the Delaware County Humane Society.

Lenahan has served as a private physician since 1992.

Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for more information.
 

Soldier charged with manslaughter after trying to cure another of hiccups

(CNN) -- A soldier trying to scare another soldier out of hiccups shot his comrade in the face, killing him, authorities said Tuesday.

Both soldiers, joined by a third man, were drinking alcohol and watching football at the time of the Sunday night incident, authorities said.

"The victim had the hiccups. The suspect pulled out a gun to scare him in order to stop the hiccups," said spokesman Carroll Smith of the Killeen, Texas, Police Department.

Pfc. Patrick Edward Myers, 27, was charged on Tuesday with manslaughter, and Justice of the Peace Garland Potvin set his bond at $1 million, police said.

Killed was Pfc. Isaac Lawrence Young, 22, of Ash Grove, Missouri, a motor transport operator at the Army base, the military said. Young entered active duty in May 2011 and arrived at Fort Hood in October 2011, the Army said.

Myers is a soldier at the base, as was Young at the time of his death, said Fort Hood spokesman Chris Haug.

Police responded to a shooting shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday and found a man shot in the face and two other men at the residence, Killeen police said.

Myers allegedly "produced a handgun and while handling it in an unsafe manner, discharged the handgun striking the victim in the face," police said.

Young was pronounced dead during the ambulance transport to Skylark Field, where he had been scheduled for an airlift to a hospital, authorities said.

Young received the National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon, the military said.

Bride Drowns in Wedding Dress Photo Shoot Near Waterfall

A recent bride was posing for wedding photos one last time Friday when she slipped into a river and was dragged to death by her own water-soaked wedding dress.

“I tried to save her. I tried, I tried, I tried,” the bride’s photographer, Louis Pagakis, told CTV News.

Pagakis said the bride — now identified as 30-year-old Laval, Quebec realtor Maria Pantazopoulos — was married June 9 and wanted a shot of herself swimming in her dress.

Canadian police first told reporters the woman had slipped off a cliff and plunged to her death. They also said she was a bride-to-be, CTV reports.

Later in the day, police corrected themselves, telling media that the woman only had her feet in the Ouareau River, near Dorwin Falls in Rawdon.

They said her dress absorbed a large quantity of water and pulled her into the water. She was eventually swept away by the current.

Policemen soon reported to the scene and found the woman’s body in about four hours.

Two witnesses, who were not named, were taken to a local hospital for shock.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/canadian-bride-to-be-plunges-waterfall-death-article-1.1144191#ixzz27iYJk3cn