A restaurant cook committed suicide by dunking his head in the sizzling deep fryer during work. Several workers in Pennsylvania witnessed the gruesome suicide and attempted to stop it.
Before the traumatising scene, the cook undressed himself inside the Italian restaurant, according to authorities. His co-workers became frantic when they realised he thrust his face into the scorching oil afterwards. Authorities confirmed that the incident happened at an Olive Garden branch in Williamsport last Friday afternoon, but have not yet identified the employee.
Authorities said that several employees, including a female worker, and at least one customer rushed to help, attempting to thwart the suicide. According to a report, dispatches on a 911 audio recording could be heard speaking about “a male victim” who “went headfirst into the fryers.”
The conversation continues with another dispatcher explaining that details on the situation were limited, but there was a “lot of people screaming” at the scene, and based on their understanding, the victim was burned.
When emergency responders arrived at the restaurant, the employee was taken to the hospital for immediate medical treatment. However, he later succumbed to his injuries. While trying to stop the cook from further injuring himself, the female employee sustained burns. Her injuries were described as minor.
The authorities have not released many details about the troubling incident, citing respect for the employee and his family. Olive Garden also refrained from sharing information on the matter, citing privacy laws. Following the ordeal, the restaurant was temporarily closed to the public but has since resumed operation.
According to someone on social media, claiming to be a friend of the customer who helped restrain the cook, the employee wanted to go back into the fryer when he was forcefully removed. He added that, after the incident, his friend “had to throw his jacket away because the man’s skin got burnt onto his jacket.”