Worker gets hand caught in machinery
An unfortunate and untimely accident fell upon a worker of La Popular Tortilla Factory, located on Angel Coral Street, on Tuesday, August 31, at about 1:00 p.m., as 16-year-old Emmanuel Marcos Garcia got his hand caught in one of the tortilla-making machines.
According to reports, Marcos was cleaning the machinery after work and apparently forgot to turn it off before reaching into the moving parts of the machine. In the process, his hand somehow got caught in the machine, almost to elbow level. Fortunately for Marcos, the recently bought modern machine’s safety feature triggered it to shut off before it caused more damage to his entire arm. His injuries could have been a lot worst if it weren’t for the safety feature.
The problem then was to remove Marcos’ hand from the machine. Employees and assistants tried to reverse the gears to release his hand but with no success. Shortly the decision was made to cut the section of the machine with a grinder. Dr. Daniel Gonzalez was on hand to properly protect Marcus’ hand and deliver pain killers to the young man who was clearly in agonizing pain.
After his hand was freed, Marcos was transported to Ambergris Hopes and later on taken to Belize City for further medical treatment. Dr. Daniel Gonzalez classified his injuries as an exposed fracture on the right hand and commented to Ambergris Today that his arm will be fine after treatment; Marcos will not lose his hand. Proprietor of La Popular, Andre Perez, told Ambergris Today that was an unfortunate accident and can’t believe that it happened because Marcos is an experienced employee and knew his way with the machine.
“We are taking good care of Marcos and making sure that he gets the proper medical attention that he needs,” explained Mr. Perez. “He is being taken care of in Belize City and we hope that he can fully recuperate from his injuries.”
