Man Found Dead Inside North Carolina Supermarket Freezer: 'Unfortunate Accident'

Mar. 15, 2025

Food Lion logo.Photo:Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty

Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty

In an email to PEOPLE, the Raleigh Police Department said that its officers responded to the report of a deceased person at the Food Lion supermarket located at 4510 Capital Blvd. The police confirmed the body of an adult male in the freezer, adding that the incident is being treated as a death investigation.

“Food Lion is cooperating with local authorities in their investigation of this unfortunate incident,” the statement continued.

“As always, the safety and well-being of customers and associates are daily priorities for Food Lion, and we are committed to ensuring a safe place to work and shop. We are providing resources to support our associates during this difficult time,” the spokesperson concluded.

Founded in 1957 in Salisbury, N.C., Food Lion oversees 1,000 grocery stores in 10 states in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic areas, per the company’swebsite— adding that it employs 82,000 associates and serves over 10 million customers weekly.

There have been reported incidents of freezer-related deaths involving workers in recent years.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In a statement shared withMcClatchy News, a spokesperson for the fast food chain said that the New Iberia franchisee was “cooperating fully with local authorities as they conduct their investigation” theHeraldreported.

In Brooklyn, N.Y.,a 33-year-old bakery employee diedafter he was found locked inside the bakery’s walk-in freezer on Nov. 3, 2022. According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), authorities responded to a call and found the man “unconscious and unresponsive” at Beigel’s Bakery in Canarsie.

Per theNew York Times, the man was trapped inside the freezer during the early morning hours and was pronounced dead at the scene after authorities arrived. The paper reported, citing police, that the death appeared accidental.

source: people.com