By Jack Cowhick
An Olive Garden cook died after plunging his head into a deep fryer on Jan. 30, The Smoking Gun (TSG) first reported Thursday.
The victim, who has yet to be identified, reportedly stripped his clothes after arriving at the Williamsport, Pennsylvania restaurant before thrusting his head into one of the kitchen’s fryers. In an emergency call recording obtained by TSG, the dispatch officer stated that he “doesn’t have a lot of details” and mentions “people screaming” in the background.
“I don’t have a lot of details, a lot of people screaming,” the operator stated. “Some kind of a burn victim.”
“A male victim went headfirst into the fryers,” he continued.
The victim was reportedly rushed to a nearby hospital but later passed away due to his injuries.
A Reddit user who claimed to have worked with the victim said he was “on PCP,” a mind-altering drug.
“I work there. It happened. Fucking nightmare fuel,” the user wrote. “Screaming women. Five males on staff and one is jumping into the fryer. He was on PCP and something possessed him to believe the fryer was water.”
“I pulled him out three separate times, as he fought to go back in,” the user added.
Pennsylvania State Police did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
AUSTIN, TEXAS – JUNE 20: The exterior of an Olive Garden is seen on June 20, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Olive Garden, surpassed Wall Street’s earnings and revenue after reporting a fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $303.8 million dollars. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
