Man Cooked to Death At Tuna Factory

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Authorities say a 62-year-old employee of Bumble Bee Food was found cooked to death at the Southern California seafood plant. The Whittier Daily News reports that Jose Melena was found Thursday morning just before 7:30 a.m. in a steamer machine. Melena was a 6 year employee of the company. It is unclear how he ended up in the industrial cooker. The initial investigation indicated that he was fatally injured when he was cooked in the oven. Police say the 911 responders pronounced him dead on the scene. This incident is being investigated by CAL-OSHA to determine the circumstance of what officials are calling an accident. Bumble Bee Foods vice president of human resources Pat Menke released this statement: “The entire Bumble Bee Foods family is saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Melena Family.” Operations at the plant have been suspended since Thursday morning but are expected to resume on Monday following an investigation.