It was the teen's first day working as a subcontractor with North Carolina-based Crawford Tree Service.
A North Carolina teenager was killed when he was pulled into a wood chipperas he put tree limbs into the machine on what was his first day of a new job.
Mason Scott Cox, 19, on Saturday was working with Crawford Tree Service, a company that was cutting down trees in a yard, when he attempted to kick a tree part into the wood chipper, according to reports.
Cox was pulled into the chipper when he tried to get the limb into the machine, officials said.
He was found dead inside the wood chipper by Kings Mountain Police who responded to a 911 call about a man who had been pulled into the mechanism, according to reports.
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Cox’s death was ruled an accident and no foul play was suspected, The Herald wrote.
It was the teen’s first day working as a subcontractor with the company, but the business’ owner, Jon Crawford, insisted that Cox was working “side by side with two experienced employees,” WBTV reported.
Crawford told the television station he thought the limb may have grabbed a piece of Cox’s clothing as it was sucked into the chipper.
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The teen, whose cousin works for Crawford, had taken the day’s work to make extra money, the business owner told The Herald.
He said the work site was safe and Cox was not performing any tasks too difficult for a newcomer, WBTV reported.
The N.C. Department of Labor is reportedly investigating to determine if any safety or health standards were violated.
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