Popular restaurant chef commits suicide by jumping headfirst into active fryer, succumbs to burn injuries

The employee was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of severe burn injuries.

An employee at an Olive Garden restaurant in the United States has died after sustaining critical injuries during an incident described by authorities as a suicide attempt, New York Post reported.

The incident took place on Friday afternoon at the chain’s outlet in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. According to a report by The Smoking Gun, the employee, a cook whose identity has not been released, removed his clothing and placed his head into an active deep fryer inside the restaurant.

Emergency services were alerted shortly afterwards. In recorded 911 audio, dispatchers can be heard describing the situation as it unfolded. “A male victim went head first into the fryers,” one dispatcher said. Another operator stated: “I don’t have a lot of details, lot of people screaming, some kind of a burn victim.”

The employee was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of severe burn injuries. Authorities later confirmed that he died as a result of those injuries.

During the incident, a female colleague sustained minor burns while attempting, along with several other employees, to prevent the cook from causing further harm to himself. At least one customer inside the restaurant also attempted to intervene, according to the report.

Neither Olive Gardennor law enforcement officials released further details about the circumstances leading up to the incident. Authorities referred to it only as a “suicide attempt”.

Following the incident, the Williamsport restaurant remained closed for several days. It has since resumed operations.