Father Dies After Getting Trapped in Chemical Mixer at Work: ‘He Was Begging for Help’

A 57-year-old man died after becoming trapped inside a chemical mixer while on the job in Yuma, Arizona, following an incident on Jan. 4.

Jose Fernando Partida was cleaning the inside of a chemical mixer at Gowan Milling LLC when another employee entered the unit. The machine then turned on, Arizona Family reported. The second worker was able to get out, but Partida remained trapped inside, according to the outlet.

Rural Metro Fire crews cut power to the equipment immediately. After roughly five hours and a complicated rescue effort involving first responders and a hazmat team, Partida was removed from the mixer.

He suffered multiple injuries, including broken ribs and fractures to his leg and arm, along with extensive bruising. He was taken to a hospital, where he died on Jan. 10.

“When they called me that he had an accident, I thought it was like a small accident,” his son, Omar, told Arizona Family.

“The sad thing is the time that he was there and that he was begging for help,” he said. “I was imagining all the pain that he was passed through… to be there for five hours and hold all the pain. I don’t think my dad deserved all that.”

Gowan Milling LLC said it activated emergency procedures as soon as it learned of the injury. “We immediately enacted our emergency response protocol… including calling emergency medical professionals and other first responders,” the company said in a statement.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our employee, and our thoughts and most sincere sympathies are extended to his family at this time,” the statement continued. “The safety of our employees is our first priority, and we are conducting an investigation into this incident… [and] continuing to cooperate with local law enforcement and regulatory agencies.”

The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office said the incident remains under investigation. The Industrial Commission of Arizona said its investigation could take four to five months.

Omar described his father as someone who was constantly there for his family. “Anything that we had the problems, he was there,” he said. “And he always have an answer for me. Now that he’s not here, it’s like… it was just me, my sister and him.”

A GoFundMe page has been created to help the family with unexpected medical and funeral costs. The page describes Partida as “a joyful, loving man who brought people together,” adding that he loved “life, music, dancing, soccer, and above all, his family.” He is survived by his wife, Lupe, and two children, Omar and Allison.