Authorities in Raleigh, N.C., said the body of a supermarket employee was found inside a freezer on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
In an email, the Raleigh Police Department said that its officers responded to the report of a deceased person at the Food Lion supermarket located at 4510 Capital Blvd. The police confirmed the body of an adult male in the freezer, adding that the incident is being treated as a death investigation.
A Food Lion spokesperson shared a statement with PEOPLE about the death of its employee, whose name was not disclosed. “Food Lion is deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of our associate,” said the spokesperson. “We express our deepest condolences to the associate’s family and friends.”
“Food Lion is cooperating with local authorities in their investigation of this unfortunate incident,” the statement continued.
“As always, the safety and well-being of customers and associates are daily priorities for Food Lion, and we are committed to ensuring a safe place to work and shop. We are providing resources to support our associates during this difficult time,” the spokesperson concluded.
Founded in 1957 in Salisbury, N.C., Food Lion oversees 1,000 grocery stores in 10 states in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic areas, per the company’s website — adding that it employs 82,000 associates and serves over 10 million customers weekly.
There have been reported incidents of freezer-related deaths involving workers in recent years.
On May 11, 2023, the body of an Arby’s employee was found in a walk-in freezer of the restaurant’s New Iberia, La., location, Fox affiliate KADN reported. The death of the victim, later identified as Nguyet Le, 63, was likely the result of an accident, authorities said at the time.
According to a lawsuit filed against Arby’s by her family on May 25 of that year, Le was trapped inside the freezer as she was opening the restaurant, the Miami Heraldreported.
The complaint added that she “panicked once locked inside and beat her hands bloody trying to escape or get someone’s attention.” Her son, Nguyen Le, who also worked at the Arby’s, found her body when he arrived to begin his shift, per the complaint.
In a statement shared with McClatchy News, a spokesperson for the fast food chain said that the New Iberia franchisee was “cooperating fully with local authorities as they conduct their investigation” the Heraldreported.
In Brooklyn, N.Y., a 33-year-old bakery employee died after he was found locked inside the bakery’s walk-in freezer on Nov. 3, 2022. According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), authorities responded to a call and found the man “unconscious and unresponsive” at Beigel’s Bakery in Canarsie.
Per the New York Times, the man was trapped inside the freezer during the early morning hours and was pronounced dead at the scene after authorities arrived. The paper reported, citing police, that the death appeared accidental.
