An employee at the Gilster- Mary Lee cereal plant in Perryville lost his life in a workplace accident on Thursday, June 26.
Perry County Coroner Meghan Ellis confirmed the deceased as 38-year-old Nicolas Lopez Gomez, originally from Guatemala and employed under the alias Edward Avila.
First responders from the Perryville Fire Department and emergency medical services arrived at the plant, located at 615 Old St. Marys Road, at 3:06 p.m. They discovered Gomez dead inside an industrial oven that had already been shut off. Coroner Ellis reached the site soon after the emergency teams.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been informed of the incident and will conduct a thorough investigation to determine how Gomez became trapped in the oven.
“OSHA has been contacted concerning this accident and will be conducting its investigation. Our offices will work with them to determine how this occurred,” Ellis said.
According to Sgt. Jeri Caine of the Perryville Police Department, officials are still in the process of verifying Gomez’s legal status. Gilster-Mary Lee, based in Chester, manufactures a range of food products and mixes.
