Woman in critical condition after ingesting cleaner in restaurant

Woman in critical condition after ingesting cleaner in restaurant

(Courtesy Harding Family)


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SOUTH JORDAN — A woman is in critical condition after accidentally drinking a chemical used to clean fryers at Dickey's Barbecue Pit.

On Aug. 10 at about noon, a 67-year-old Sandy woman went to Dickey's Barbeque Pit, 683 W. South Jordan Parkway (10600 South), with her family. The woman was eating when she poured herself a glass of sweet tea from a drink dispenser. The tea was pre-mixed and put in a vat for customers, according to Master Officer Sam Winkler of the South Jordan Police Department. She was the first, and only, customer of the day to pour a drink of sweet tea.

When she took a sip, her mouth started burning instantly. She spit it out immediately without swallowing any, Winkler said.

Winker said the burning was so intense that her family rushed her to a hospital in Riverton. Once the hospital staff determined it was a serious chemical burn, they airlifted the woman to the burn unit at the University of Utah Medical Center.

The woman was in critical condition Wednesday night with severe burns to her mouth and throat, Winkler said. Police have not released the name of the victim.

"Our preliminary information suggests a high toxic industrial cleaning chemical was actually mixed with the beverage," Winkler said. "We did determine that it was an isolated incident, and we have not found any other victims and do not believe there are any other victims out there."

The chemical was identified as the cleaner used to clean the fryers in the restaurant, and the main ingredient is sodium hydroxide (67 percent), which can be deadly if ingested. Winkler said investigators don't know how it was mixed with the sweet tea.

The investigation is ongoing, and Winkler said it looks as though the incident was an accident, but investigators aren't "100 percent sure one way or the other."

The health department did a full inspection and found nothing out of the ordinary in the restaurant, Winker said. They deemed the restaurant to be safe and it is still open.

Winkler said Dickey's is cooperating with the investigation.

Contributing: Pat Reavy

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