Chocolate factory worker dies after falling into vat of chocolate

Very sad and strange...

Quote :

A temp worker at a Camden chocolate processing plant died this morning after he fell into an eight-foot vat that was mixing and melting chocolate to be used in Hershey's candy.

Vincent Smith II, 29, of Camden, was standing atop a platform and tossing blocks of solid, raw chocolate into the tank, Jason Laughlin, spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, said.

The tank was heated at 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and paddles inside stirred the chocolate as it was thrown in.

When Smith fell around 10:30 a.m., one of his three coworkers on the platform immediately rushed to turn the machine off and the two others tried to pull him out.

But Smith had been struck by one of the paddles, suffering fatal injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and Camden firefighters pulled his chocolate-covered body out of the tank.

Couldn't they have some way of putting the chocolate in there without using a guy standing above a very hot vat with big paddles in it, throwing the chocolate overboard? That just seems like an accident waiting to happen... which, apparently happened. At least put the guy in a safety harness so he doesn't tumble in.

Is it bad of me that I thought of at least a dozen people who would think this would be the most awesome way to kick off?

Narwhal you ass, you beat me to it.

Sweetest. Death. Ever.

I can think of worse ways to die.

On the other hand, I hope that batch of chocolate was thrown out. Can you imagine eating it? :tongue2:

"Waiter, there's a corpse in my chocolate!"

KGarrett wrote:

"Waiter, there's a corpse in my chocolate!"

:roflmao: :D :mwahaha: :lolinsane: :fatkid:

Narwhal wrote:

KGarrett wrote:

"Waiter, there's a corpse in my chocolate!"

:roflmao: :D :mwahaha: :lolinsane: :fatkid:

Whoa. CALM DOWN MISSY.

Lady Anne wrote:

I can think of worse ways to die.

On the other hand, I hope that batch of chocolate was thrown out. Can you imagine eating it? :tongue2:

Soylent Choco is made from people!

KGarrett wrote:

"Waiter, there's a corpse in my chocolate!"

"Hush, or everyone else will be wanting one too!"

I thought about posting this, with the tag line, "The police are searching for a Mr. Wonka."
The guy died, though, which makes it not so funny.

His last words were "And I'm going down, all the way down, I'm on The Hershey Highway To Hell"

Malganis wrote:

Couldn't they have some way of putting the chocolate in there without using a guy standing above a very hot vat with big paddles in it, throwing the chocolate overboard? That just seems like an accident waiting to happen... which, apparently happened. At least put the guy in a safety harness so he doesn't tumble in.

120°, is that "very hot"? As far as accidents go, I can think of worse deaths- he died from being hit with those paddles, that's like being hit by a car or something, I would guess. And he obviously died quickly. Imagine he'd fallen into a vat of something boiling without paddles... boiled to death like a lobster, hmmm.

Spotts1701 wrote:

Is it bad of me that I thought of at least a dozen people who would think this would be the most awesome way to kick off?

I might, but it's Hershey's.

grmblfjx wrote:

120°, is that "very hot"? As far as accidents go, I can think of worse deaths- he died from being hit with those paddles, that's like being hit by a car or something, I would guess. And he obviously died quickly. Imagine he'd fallen into a vat of something boiling without paddles... boiled to death like a lobster, hmmm.

It's a very, very, very hot day temperature.

I like Hershey's.

I feel sorry for the guy that this was Hershey's chocolate. Imagine having to die in substandard brown goo.

KelinciHutan wrote:

grmblfjx wrote:

120°, is that "very hot"? As far as accidents go, I can think of worse deaths- he died from being hit with those paddles, that's like being hit by a car or something, I would guess. And he obviously died quickly. Imagine he'd fallen into a vat of something boiling without paddles... boiled to death like a lobster, hmmm.

It's a very, very, very hot day temperature.

Yes, but what is it in Celsius?

Cyberwulf wrote:

KelinciHutan wrote:

grmblfjx wrote:

120°, is that "very hot"? As far as accidents go, I can think of worse deaths- he died from being hit with those paddles, that's like being hit by a car or something, I would guess. And he obviously died quickly. Imagine he'd fallen into a vat of something boiling without paddles... boiled to death like a lobster, hmmm.

It's a very, very, very hot day temperature.

Yes, but what is it in Celsius?

48.88 Celsius.

So, slightly too hot for the bathtub.

ZoZo wrote:

I feel sorry for the guy that this was Hershey's chocolate. Imagine having to die in substandard brown goo.

My point exactly, dear.

Spotts1701 wrote:

Is it bad of me that I thought of at least a dozen people who would think this would be the most awesome way to kick off?

Those fat bastards. The best way to die is after having sex.

Seeing as the guy died, it should be tragic rather than funny but it's not because it's too much of a ridiculous thing for the real world. It's more the way a minor bad guy would die in Austin Powers or something.

KelinciHutan wrote:

I like Hershey's.

Ah, but you're American, aren't you? Europeans can't stand it.

For me, for some reason the sadness of the story is compounded by the fact that he was a temp worker. It was just a temporary job, one that he was probably very happy to get (considering the economy), and he ends up dying doing it.

Fairlight wrote:

Seeing as the guy died, it should be tragic rather than funny but it's not because it's too much of a ridiculous thing for the real world. It's more the way a minor bad guy would die in Austin Powers or something.

KelinciHutan wrote:

I like Hershey's.

Ah, but you're American, aren't you? Europeans can't stand it.

I don't like Hershey's, but a lot of the European commercial chocolates are way too sweet for me, as well. Hershey's special reserve isn't bad, but milk chocolate in general is gross.

A_Note_Chaotic wrote:

I don't like Hershey's, but a lot of the European commercial chocolates are way too sweet for me, as well. Hershey's special reserve isn't bad, but milk chocolate in general is gross.

Agreed - I prefer dark chocolate (doesn't matter what kind, though Ghirardelli Chocolate is definitely my favorite).

Spotts1701 wrote:

A_Note_Chaotic wrote:

I don't like Hershey's, but a lot of the European commercial chocolates are way too sweet for me, as well. Hershey's special reserve isn't bad, but milk chocolate in general is gross.

Agreed - I prefer dark chocolate (doesn't matter what kind, though Ghirardelli Chocolate is definitely my favorite).

So do I! (Though I do like Godiva Chocolate)