This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

An ARUP Laboratories employee died Thursday after falling inside a two-story storage freezer.

The man, who was in his mid-60s, fell about 9:20 a.m. while performing maintenance at the laboratory, near 500 Chipeta Way at the University of Utah. Salt Lake City Fire Spokesman Jasen Asay could not confirm how far the man fell, or how.

He was inside the freezer for at least 15 minutes before coworkers found him and carried him outside, Asay said. When paramedics arrived, the man was sitting in a wheelchair with an obvious ankle injury, possibly back injuries and possibly hypothermia, Asay added.

The man was taken to the hospital. Jerry Hussong, ARUP's director of laboraties, confirmed that the man later died. The man's identity had not been released.

"We are devastated that we had the passing of a longterm ARUP employee," Hussong said. "… Our thoughts are with his family."

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the accident.

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