Man dies trying to eat half-pound doughnut
A Colorado man died trying to eat a half-pound glazed doughnut in 80 seconds as part of a shop's eating challenge.
Travis Malouff, 42, died Sunday of asphyxia due to obstruction of the airway, AP reports.
The competition, which is hosted by Voodoo Doughnuts, challenges competitors to consume a doughnut the size of a small cake. Winners receive the doughnut for free, plus a button saying they completed the challenge.
KUSA-TV reported Malouff's death on the same day as 20-year-old Caitlin Nelson, who choked during a pancake-eating contest days earlier days earlier at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.
Julia Edelstein, who witnessed the tragedy, told KUSA-TV that the mood was festive as she waited in line at the doughnut shop on the day of the incident.
People waiting for doughnuts were reportedly signing and dancing around when Edelstein heard an employee call for a round of applause when announcing a new challenger.
About 30 seconds into the challenge, Malouff sipped water, took another bite of doughnut then started pounding on the counter, Edelstein said.
"Watching somebody participate in an eating contest, it looks like they're distressed," she told the news outlet. "The whole thing looks like a sign of distress. Nobody realized what was happening."
