Death by Chocolate

Camden worker dies after falling into 8-foot-deep vat of chocolate

Posted by cstone July 08, 2009 16:07PM

CAMDEN -- A city man died today after falling into an eight-foot deep vat of chocolate at a factory in Camden.

Vincent Smith II, 29, was standing on a nine foot high platform at Cocoa Services loading solid chocolate into a melting vat when he fell into the vat about 10:30 a.m., according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

Google MapsThe 700 block of North 36th Street in Camden, the location of the facility where a man died today after falling into a vat of boiling chocolate.

A co-worker immediately hit an emergency shutoff switch and two others tried to pull Smith out, according to Jason Laughlin, a spokesman for Camden County Prosecutor Warren Faulk.

However, Smith was hit by an agitator, a large paddle-like piece of machinery in the vat used to mix the solid chocolate as it melts, Laughlin said.

Smith suffered fatal injuries from the blow. Firefighters removed Smith from the vat. He was declared dead at the scene.

Smith was a temporary worker at the 36th Street business.

Lyons and Sons Inc., building owner and Cocoa Services manager, closed the business for the day.

Preliminary information suggests the incident is accidental, Laughlin said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That sucks a lot for him, and here is why:

1. He's dead

2. He died in a way I always pictued being a cool way to die, apparently it is not as glamorous as I'd hoped.

3. He was a temp.

Imagine being at a temp agency and you landed a job at a chocolate factory. You'd being thinking "fuck yea that's some Willy Wonka shit" Then you realize the dangers of the Umpa Lumpa industry....