Emergency services rushed to a popular American chain restaurant over reports of a person putting their head in a deep fat fryer.

13:24, Fri, Feb 6, 2026 Updated: 13:27, Fri, Feb 6, 2026

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The chef was working at Olive Garden in the US. (Image: Getty)

A chef at a popular US restaurant chain has died in horrifying circumstances after reportedly sticking his head into a deep-fat fryer. The tragic incident unfolded at an Olive Garden in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in what police are treating as a suicide attempt, according to The Smoking Gun.

Trooper Lauren Lesher, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), said the "incident was a suicide attempt and out of respect for the individual and their family, we do not release information". She added that giving more details about the incident on January 30 could potentially lead to the identification of the employee.

Frying potatoes in fryer for french fries in a restaurant.

The chef is said to have put their head in a deep fat fryer. (Image: Getty)

A manager at the Olive Garden, which temporarily shut its doors following the incident, said: "We are not able to disclose anything due to our privacy laws."

Emergency services were called to the scene around 4pm local time following distress calls about an employee getting undressed and attempting self-harm.

Audio from the Lycoming County fire and EMS service reveals a dispatcher saying, "I don't have a lot of details, lot of people screaming, some kind of a burn victim".

Further dispatches indicated that "a male victim went head first into the fryers", and that "PSP is responding" to the Olive Garden.

Following the arrival of the first ambulance crew, a second unit was dispatched to the restaurant to attend to a female employee who had sustained minor burns.

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The woman was injured during the scuffle involving workers and at least one customer, as they attempted to prevent the male cook from inflicting further harm upon himself.

The Olive Garden employee was swiftly taken to a nearby hospital, but tragically succumbed to his injuries.