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Anyone who has ever cooked frozen burgers probably knows that the most challenging part of the preparation is separating the patties from each other. While manufacturers place slips of paper between the meat to allow for them to break apart with ease, that isn't often the case, and it usually takes a lot of work, and sometimes unique methods, to detach the burgers from each other. Well one man has now tragically died while trying to break the frozen burgers apart, and a warning has been issued so others don't suffer a similar fate.
57-year-old Barry Griffiths of Wales sadly passed away from an accidental stab wound to the stomach inflicted as he attempted to separate frozen patties. No one heard from Barry for a week and police were sent to his home for a wellness check. They discovered his body in a pool of blood on his bed and a stab wound in his stomach. Authorities followed a trail of blood that took them to his kitchen where, based on the evidence - a freezer left open, two uncooked burgers on the counter, a knife with blood on it and a towel - they deduced what occurred.
The coroner ruled his death an accident, stating, "The wound to the abdomen would have been approximately the height of the work surface. My hypothesis at that stage was that Mr. Griffiths was attempting to separate frozen burgers using a knife."
While Barry had previously suffered from a stroke and had limited mobility in one arm, the accident could happen to anyone, so if you do choose to use a knife to separate frozen burger patties, make sure it is a butter knife and even still, be careful.