Man Dies After Falling into Vat of Grease and Oil in Orange County

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on August 20, 2018

On Wednesday, August 15th, two employees with a Massachusetts-based company called Harvest Power were working close to Disney World in the Orange County city of Bay Lake. The two individuals had reached 2010 South Service Lane and had driven a large tractor-trailer to a specific location where the contents of the truck could be emptied into an enormous vat.

According to the official report, Harvest Power is a sustainable energy company that works to convert both yard and food waste into numerous other products such as biofuel, fertilizer, and compost. The truck being driven by the two men contained a combination of oil and grease, and it is believed that this mixture of organic compounds was on its way to be recycled by the Orlando location of Harvest Power which has a contract with the Reedy Creek Improvement District to help offer alternative and sustainable waste management solutions.

It was shortly after midnight when the two men exited the vehicle and began to empty the grease and oil mixture into the vat. One of the men, a 61-year-old, was reportedly standing on top of a metal grate located next to the vat when something happened to cause him to slip and fall into the deepening pool of highly potent liquid.

The second man attempted to help the first escape from the vat, but the fumes emanating from the substance being emptied from the truck prevented him from getting close enough to the first man to be of use. The first man was also overcome by the powerful fumes, causing him to sink further into the noxious substance.

Sometime later, the Reedy Creek Fire Department was able to finally locate and retrieve the body of the first man from within the vat of liquid.

At the time of this writing, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office has managed to identify the deceased individual as well as notify the person’s family as to the events that occurred. A statement from a spokesperson with the Harvest Power company indicates that the event is being treated as a shocking tragedy and that everything is being done to ascertain just what happened to cause the man to slip and fall into the container.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.