An Arizona man has died after an industrial accident at his workplace.
Jose Fernando Partida, 57, was cleaning the inside of a chemical mixer at Gowan Milling LLC in Yuma when tragedy struck. According to his son Omar, the machine he was in opened up when a colleague climbed in to assist with cleaning, and although they managed to escape, Partida was not so lucky.
Rural Metro Fire said crews managed to immediately shut off power to the machine, but the complex rescue operation lasted more than five hours. Due to chemical exposure, rescuers must wear hazmat equipment. Partida suffered several serious injuries and died a week later.
“The sad thing is that he was there begging for help,” Omar told AZFamily. “I imagined all the pain he was going through and all these things. I imagined just being there for five hours and going through all the pain. I didn’t think my dad should have to go through this.”
Omar told AZFamily he received a call saying there was an accident, but he thought it was just a minor incident. Instead, he learned that his father was trapped inside a piece of heavy equipment.
Jose Fernando Partida, 57, died after being trapped in a chemical mixer for days while working at a manufacturing plant in Yuma, Arizona (GoFundMe/Partida Family)
Partida was hospitalized for a week after the incident. He was in a coma most of the time and suffered broken ribs, a broken leg and bruises all over his body. He died over the weekend.
The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office and the Arizona Industrial Commission said they are investigating the incident. According to AZFamily, this could take up to five months to complete.
Omar said his father has always been there for him and his family.
“He always tried to help us and no matter what problem we had, he was there,” he added. “He always has an answer for me. Now that he’s not here, I don’t know. Like, because it’s just me, my sister and him.”
“He’s always calling me and telling me about football and football,” Omar said.
Omar’s family has launched a GoFundMe to help with medical and funeral expenses. As of this writing, the company has raised over $5,000 toward its $10,000 goal.
“Jose was a happy, loving man who brought people together. He loved life, music, dance, football, and most importantly, his family. He leaves behind his loving wife, Lupe, and two children, Omar and Allison,” the GoFundMe said.
Following the incident, Gowan Milling LLC issued the following statement:
“On January 4, a Gowan Milling employee was injured in an incident at our Yuma, Arizona manufacturing facility,” Gowan Milling LLC wrote in a statement to AZFamily.
“Upon learning the employee was injured, we immediately instituted emergency response plans, including calling emergency medical professionals and other first responders. Emergency personnel provided medical care to the employee on scene and transported him to the hospital by ambulance.”
The statement also read: “We are also working closely with first responders to ensure the safety of the area surrounding the incident. Unfortunately, the employee passed away in hospital from his injuries on January 10. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our employee and we offer our condolences and sincerest condolences to his family at this time. The safety of our employees is our top priority and we are investigating this incident. We will also continue to work with local law enforcement and regulatory agencies.”
