Abroad
US man dies after jumping headfirst into deep fryer at Olive Garden in apparent suicide
He was taken to hospital, but passed away later.
February 08, 2026, 04:11 PM
Warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide. Audience discretion is advised.
A U.S. man has died after jumping headfirst into a restaurant's deep fryer, with several colleagues and a patron injured while trying to save him.
Vat of hot oil
The Mirror reported that the incident happened in a franchise of the Italian-American restaurant chain Olive Garden, in the U.S. town of Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The man apparently stripped naked in the Olive Garden’s kitchen before diving headfirst into a vat of hot oil.
The man was taken to the hospital, where he eventually died from his injuries.
Several staff were injured in the incident as they attempted to rescue him from the deep fryer, with at least one female employee sustaining some minor burns.
A customer in the restaurant also attempted to help prevent the man from further injuring himself.
Grim
Local emergency medical services and state police have categorised the incident as a suicide attempt, and have said they will not release further information because of that.
Audio recordings of calls made to emergency services were described as “grim” and harrowing.
Initially, dispatchers simply said that “a male victim went headfirst into the fryers”, according to the New York Post.
Another operator told emergency services that there were "a lot of people screaming, some kind of burn victim".
The Post reported that the restaurant closed for several days after the incident occurred on Jan. 30, but has since reopened.
Helplines
If you or someone you know is in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:
National mindline.sg Hotline: 1771 (24 hours)
National mindline.sg WhatsApp: 66691771 (24 hours)
SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767
Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
Centre for Domestic Employees: 1800 225 5233 (24 hours)
Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training: 1800 339 4357 (24 hours)
HOME: 1800 797 7977 or +65 9787 3122 (WhatsApp / Viber / SMS)
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