A Florida man choked to death after swallowing dozens of live roaches during a roach eating contest.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution obtained a copy of Edward Archbold’s autopsy report which showed the 32-year-old man died as a result of “asphyxia due to choking and aspiration of gastric contents.
The human stomach is designed to reject — or regurgitate — caustic substances that may be harmful to our health.
In Archbold’s case, he inhaled the regurgitated roach body parts into his lungs.
“There is a flap called the epiglottis that is supposed to stop objects from going into the lungs,” medical examiner Craig T. Mallak wrote in an email to the AP. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work. In the video you could see him trying to swallow and breathe at the same time. We can’t do both simultaneously.”
Archbold collapsed and died shortly after the Oct. 6 contest at Ben Siegel Reptile Store in Deerfield Beach, Florida, 40 miles north of Miami.
The West Palm Beach resident went outside to vomit just after winning the grand prize — a python snake. He was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The cause of death was ruled an accident.
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