A young woman tragically lost her life after she was caught in a machine at work while trying to retrieve her AirPod.
Alyssa Drinkard, 21, was a contract worker at Club Car, a firm that manufactures golf carts and other vehicles, in Augusta, Georgia.
During one part of her shift at about 9:45PM on March 8, Drinkard dropped her Apple AirPod underneath the conveyor machine, NBC News reported. However, when she went to retrieve the item, she became trapped in the chain that moves the conveyor, as described by a witness.
According to reports, Drinkard was essentially pinned down and her co-worker was unable to free her from the machine.
Emergency responders later freed the woman by “cutting the metal frame from around the conveyor and pulling her out,” NBC News reported. The first responders carried out life-saving measures on Drinkard before she was taken to the hospital.
Drinkard was pronounced dead in the hospital, Major Steve Morris from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office told The Augusta Press reported. Her cause of death is the subject of an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Fae’Zsha Smith, who had been working alongside Drinkard when the accident occurred, told NBC News that she was “traumatized”.
Smith said that her colleague had dropped her earbud and recalled how she told the now-deceased she would retrieve it for her when it was safe. Just seconds later, Smith witnessed as Drinkard became caught in the machine.
“Before I know it, I look up and I look around. For the most part, something in my spirit told me to look down. The only thing I did see was just her arm and her Apple watch and just a lot of blood; the blood just was continuously coming,” she told WRDW.
“I can’t tell you for the life of me what made her go under there, why she went under there. I’m not sure she heard me tell her to wait; I was going to help her. I don’t know.”
In a statement to The Augusta Press, Club Car said that “a contract labour worker experienced a critical injury while working at our main manufacturing facility in Evans” on Friday.
“First responders were immediately notified, and we thank them for their quick response to provide medical care and transportation to the hospital where the worker unfortunately later passed away,” the company said. “Our sincere condolences and thoughts are with the family, friends and all impacted by this loss.”
The business said that it is working with the officials and the contractor to cooperate with the investigation.
Smith told NBC News she will remember her colleague as being “always so sweet” and “always had a smile on her face."