Reached into the mixer with his arms? Not with a push-pole or paddle or something else he could easily drop if it got snagged?
This is tragic, but I also see an employer willing to cut costs by hiring a cheap illegal immigrant (likely not a speaker of English or literate in any language) and not have to pay for safety training/safeguards or adhere to OSHA regulations or take taxes out of his paycheck etc.
My thought exactly. Actual failure on procedure by employer or employee?