Man's Death After Eating Roaches Raises Questions (Contest to Win a Snake)

10News ^ | 10/10/12

[nickcarraway]

As a Florida medical examiner tries to determine how 32-year-old Edward Archbold died after eating insects during a contest to win a snake, people around the country are asking: Why?

Authorities said Archbold became ill soon after winning and collapsed in front of the Ben Siegel Reptile Store where the contest was held. The store is in Deerfield Beach about 40 miles north of Miami. Archbold was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The grand prize in Friday night's contest was a live python.

Why would anyone eat a live cockroach? Why did he die Friday when several others in the contest ate the same bugs without incident? What inspired Archbold to shovel handfuls of crickets, worms and cockroaches into his mouth?

While eating bugs is normal in many parts of the world, the practice is taboo in the U.S. and many western countries.

Yet people do it for the shock factor, and many do so during contests or dares.

Experts point to the rise in reality TV shows and movies such as "Fear Factor" and "Jackass" as egging people on and breaking down the ick factor.

[skeeter]

The lesson here is don't do unnatural things to your body, especially if your incentive to do so is a snake.

Duh.

[GraceG]

Clearly we need more laws to protect people from their own stuipidity...

/sarc

[VanDeKoik]

“Man’s Death After Eating Roaches Raises Questions”

*thinking*

I have no idea what those could be.

[cripplecreek]

I’m guessing he had some undiagnosed medical condition because nasty or not, eating the bugs is probably not what killed him.

[bella1]

Clearly the winner of this weeks Darwin Award.

[Maceman]

The really stupid thing is that you can walk into most decent pet stores and buy a ball python for about $50.

Of course, the last one I bought for my daughter came from a breeder. Still only cost $50.

[layman]

I read he swallowed the live roaches without chewing them (killing them) to save time .... that’s how he won. Live roaches crawling around in your stomach is probably not a very good idea.

[gr8eman]

Experts point to the rise in reality TV shows and movies such as "Fear Factor" and "Jackass" as egging people on and breaking down the ick factor.

Yep...the stupid TV shows that few people watch are the cause of mass stupidity. I'll take "Darwin Award Winners" for $2000 Alex!

[Tax-chick]

My question is, “How did someone this stupid live to the age of 32?”

[familyop]

Roaches carry pathogens causing dysentery, streptococcus, salmonella, hepatitis B, E coli, cholera and other diseases.

[Democrat_media]

Yes and they were 3 inch long roaches.

[lowbridge]

” Why did he die Friday”

Probably because his whole schedule was booked on Friday.

[lowbridge]

That’s Thursday, dimwit.

[cripplecreek]

Roaches carry pathogens causing dysentery, streptococcus, salmonella, hepatitis B, E coli, cholera and other diseases.

These bugs were domestically raised and probably fairly clean and none of the things you listed kills in minutes. I guarantee this guy had other medical issues that killed him.

I had a friend who opened a beer, took a drink, and dropped dead on the spot. It was the undiagnosed brain aneurism that killed him, not the beer.

[headsonpikes]

“I had a friend who opened a beer, took a drink, and dropped dead on the spot.”

Call me squeamish but speaking for myself, I’d rather go that way than with a mouthful of cockroaches.

[SIDENET]

I had a friend who opened a beer, took a drink, and dropped dead on the spot. It was the undiagnosed brain aneurism that killed him, not the beer.

I hope that's the way I go.

Quick, unexpected, relatively painless, and WITH A BEER.

[al baby]

Sounds like Sandra Fluke

[dfwgator]

“Slimy, yet satisfying.”

[cameraeye]

Sorry to hear about your friend. For his sake, his last act was a good one.