The winner of a roach-eating contest in South Florida died shortly
after downing dozens of the live bugs as well as worms, authorities said
Monday.
About 30 contestants ate the insects during Friday night's contest at
Ben Siegel Reptile Store in Deerfield Beach about 40 miles north of
Miami. The grand prize was a python, reports The Associated Press.
Edward Archbold, 32, of West Palm Beach became ill shortly after the
contest ended and collapsed in front of the store, according to a
Broward Sheriff's Office statement released Monday. He was taken to the
hospital where he was pronounced dead. Authorities were waiting for
results of an autopsy to determine a cause of death.
"Unless the roaches were contaminated with some bacteria or other
pathogens, I don't think that cockroaches would be unsafe to eat," said
Michael Adams, professor of entomology at the University of California
at Riverside, who added that he has never heard of someone dying after
consuming roaches. "Some people do have allergies to roaches," he said,
"but there are no toxins in roaches or related insects."
None of the other contestants became ill, the sheriff's office said.
There was no updated phone number listed for Archbold in West Palm Beach.
"We feel terribly awful," said store owner Ben Siegel, who added that
Archbold did not appear to be sick before the contest. "He looked like
he just wanted to show off and was very nice," Siegel said, adding that
Archbold was "the life of the party."
Siegel said Archbold was selling the exotic prize to a friend who took him to the contest.
A statement from Siegel's attorney said all the participants signed
waivers "accepting responsibility for their participation in this unique
and unorthodox contest."
The bugs consumed were from an inventory of insects "that are safely
and domestically raised in a controlled environment as food for
reptiles."
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