Desperate workers battled in vain to save a 29-year-old man who died after falling into a vat of molten chocolate at a factory.
Vincent Smith II was with three workers dumping chunks of chocolate into the simmering liquid when he somehow lost his balance and fell in.
TV pictures showed one of his distraught colleagues standing outside the factory in Camden, New Jersey, his clothes covered in chocolate.
He had apparently tried to rescue the man, who had died by the time emergency services arrived at the scene ten minutes later.
Jason Laughlin, spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, said an investigation has been launched into the incident.
"He somehow slipped and fell into the vat," he said.
"Inside the vat, he was hit by a piece of equipment called the agitator that's used to stir, and that killed him."
Mr Laughlin said the vat at the Cocoa Services Inc plant was around 8ft deep.
"At this point there's no suggestion of foul play," he added. "It appears to be an accident.
"This man unfortunately fell into this hole and passed away before anyone could rescue him."
Cocoa Services employs another company - Lyons and Sons - to do the mixing at the factory.
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