Worker dies after falling into machine and becoming trapped, Missouri officials say

A worker at a Missouri food plant is dead after getting stuck inside a machine, officials told news outlets.

First responders received a call for help at about 3:40 p.m. on Feb. 6 from a Schreiber Foods facility on the north side of Carthage, police told KZRG.

The town of Carthage, with a population of roughly 15,000 people, is about 140 miles south of Kansas City.

Police say the 48-year-old man, who has not been publicly identified, fell into an “automated palleting machine” and became stuck, The Joplin Globe reported.

Firefighters were prepared to extricate the man, but he had already been pulled free by the time they made it — and he was bleeding badly, the newspaper reported.

He was alive but unconscious, and his breathing was shallow, police told KZRG.

A helicopter was requested to take him to a hospital, and an area was cleared for it to land, but the worker was pronounced dead before it arrived, officials told KOAM.

Police said they were expecting federal workplace safety investigators to look into the death, the outlet reported.

“We’re devastated by the loss of one of our dear friends and coworkers,” Schreiber Foods said in a news release, adding that grief counselors would be made available onsite. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to family and friends at this difficult time.”

In an email to McClatchy News, the U.S. Department of Labor confirmed it has opened an investigation into the workplace fatality at Schreiber Foods.

Schreiber Foods is a “customer-brand leader in cream cheese, natural cheese, process cheese, beverages and yogurt — including plant-based options,” according to the company’s website. Aside from its presence in Missouri, the company also has facilities across the U.S. and in Mexico, Brazil, India and much of Europe.

This story was originally published February 7, 2024 at 1:43 PM with the headline "Worker dies after falling into machine and becoming trapped, Missouri officials say."