Vineyard worker killed after being pulled into grape-picking machine

A man working at a vineyard in Napa was killed yesterday by a grape-picking machine after a piece of his clothing became trapped in the device.

The tragic incident occurred yesterday (29 October) at around 12:30pm local time at Deconinck Vineyards, not far from the Silverado Trail.

The Napa County Sheriff’s Office have since named the man as 49-year-old Napa resident Leon Marcelo Lua.

Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle, Chet Schneider, spokesperson for the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, said that Lua was working near the machine when his clothing became trapped in it, pulling him into it and killing him.

According to the Sheriff’s Office he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The vineyard is part of the Beaucanon winery, which according to the San Francisco Chronicle, has had no previous worker safety issues recorded on the database run by the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The Sheriff’s Office has not released any details as to the type of machine being used in the vineyard. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is currently investigating the incident.

A similar accident took place in Sonoma last year when a man working at Arrowhead Vineyard was crushed by a tractor after trying to remove some wire caught in its tines.