Plant Worker Dies After Being Trapped Inside Industrial Mixer for Five Hours

A devastating workplace accident in Arizona has left a family shattered after a devoted father died following a terrifying ordeal inside an industrial chemical mixer.

Jose Fernando Partida, 57, passed away a week after the incident at Gowan Milling LLC in Yuma, where he was employed. The accident happened on January 4 as Partida was cleaning the inside of a large industrial mixer.

Authorities say the machine was accidentally switched on while Partida was inside. A co-worker who had been helping with the cleaning was able to escape, but Partida became trapped.

“The sad thing is the time that he was there and that he was begging for help,” his son, Omar Partida, told Arizona’s Family.

Although power to the machine was shut off immediately, the rescue was slow and grueling. Because of the dangerous chemicals involved, a hazmat team was required. First responders worked for nearly five hours before they were able to free Partida from the mixer, according to Rural Metro Fire.

During that time, his son says, his father was conscious and in extreme pain.

“I was imagining all the pain that he was passed through,” Omar said. “Just to be there for five hours and hold all the pain. I don’t think my dad deserved all that.”

Partida was rushed to the hospital with devastating injuries, including broken ribs, a broken arm, a broken leg, and severe bruising across his body. He remained unconscious for a week before dying from his injuries on January 10.

“When they called me that he had an accident, I thought it was like a small accident,” Omar said.

He remembered his father as a man who was always there for his children and loved talking sports, especially his beloved Los Angeles Rams.

“He always was trying to help us,” Omar said. “Anything that we had problems with, he was there. Now that he’s not here, it’s like… I don’t know. It was just me, my sister, and him.”

Gowan Milling, which supplies industrial chemicals to various industries, released a statement expressing sympathy for the family.

“We immediately enacted our emergency response protocol upon learning of this employee’s injury,” a company spokesperson said. Emergency medical professionals were called to the scene, and the area was secured in coordination with first responders. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our employee, and our thoughts and most sincere sympathies are extended to his family.”

The incident remains under investigation by the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office and the Industrial Commission of Arizona. Officials say the investigation could take up to five months.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe set up by Partida’s cousin to help cover funeral expenses and support his family has raised more than $6,000 toward its $10,000 goal as loved ones struggle to cope with the sudden and heartbreaking loss.