Crime & Safety

Palmetto Man Killed in Port Tampa Accident

An 'avalanche' of sulfur encased the man, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reported.

TAMPA, FL --A 45-year-old Palmetto man is dead following a Friday morning industrial accident at the Port of Tampa.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Joseph E. Lammlein was operating a front-end loader, moving sulfur, at 5740 Pembroke Road, just after 10 a.m. when the sulfur shifted. The sheriff’s office described the shift as an “avalanche” that caused the front-end loader to become encased in sulfur.

The sulfur also entered the loader’s cabin, the sheriff’s office noted in an email to media.

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Coworkers attempted to dig Lammlein out and were assisted by three responding deputies.

“The three deputies were all transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital and treated for exposure,” an email from the sheriff’s office stated.

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The recovery effort took four hours.

Lammelein was employed by Gulf Coast Equipment.

The accident is now under investigation by OSHA.

No further details are available at this time.

Image via Shutterstock

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