Florida man who died in cockroach-eating contest choked to death, autopsy says

Courtesy of Katie Resmondo

Undated photo of Edward Archbold and his fiance, Natasha Proffitt.

A man who collapsed after winning a cockroach-eating contest last month at a Florida pet store choked to death, according to a Broward County Medical Examiner report released Monday.

Edward Archbold, 32, of West Palm Beach, and several other contestants signed up to eat a variety of insects at Ben Siegel Reptiles in Deerfield Beach on Oct. 6. After eating dozens of giant cockroaches, Archbold was declared the winner of an ivory-ball python.

Florida man dies after winning cockroach-eating contest

Earlier in the night, he had also entered a superworm-eating contest.

But after winning, Archbold felt sick and started vomiting. He then collapsed in the store and was later pronounced dead. The medical examiner’s office conducted tests to determine the cause of death, which was revealed more than a month later.

According to the report, the death was deemed an accident as a result of "arthropod body parts" blocking Archbold's airways. The autopsy tested negative for toxic substances.

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Comment author avatarRyan Dahlvia Facebook

If Obama had a son, he would look like Edward Archbold.

  • 2 votes
Reply#55 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:39 PM EST

Try again in 4 years.

  • 3 votes
#55.1 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:42 PM EST

LOL Ryan...you're landfill waiting to happen. Here's your dunce cap. Wear it with pride.

  • 6 votes
#55.2 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:50 PM EST

Dumbest comment of the day, Ryan.

  • 3 votes
#55.3 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:15 PM EST
Comment author avatarRyan Dahlvia Facebook

Thanks I appreciate it.

    #55.4 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 9:07 PM EST
    Reply

    In many East and Southeast Asian countries people do cook and eat cockroaches and worms...and they are considered harmless and high in protein if they are clean and are so-called edible kind. One can eat them in balance. If you eat a whole lot in a contest and do another eating contest the same day you die. These guys should have been supervised by "Fear Factor" that has doctors, entomolagists and epidemologists that they consult with before these kinds of contests are constructed.

    In fact there are people who do eat insects in American South for food, for protein, to become macho strong and for the fun of it. And none die. People have shared this with me when I lived in the South. I found it sick at first...but then I realized it is their culture and their cusine. So I learned to judge...but I will not live there either.

    I have respect for people who say, "I'll hunt my own food, eat my own worms and never beg, borrow or steal". But none of them gorge cockroaches and worms that are alive to win a contest. Kindly do a stroy on insect eaters who do it as part of their regular diet in the South.

    Researcher

      Reply#56 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:42 PM EST

      This guy was a "WINNER" of the premature death by aspiration of a cockroach. Great family legacy and his big claim to fame. This was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for him. Cleansing the gene pool one idiot at a time.

      • 1 vote
      Reply#57 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:44 PM EST

      I'm sorry...any sudden and unexpected loss in a family has to be very hard to deal with. But, Charles Darwin sorted this out long ago. And even though his methods were horrid in every sense, Hitler was on to something.

      • 3 votes
      Reply#58 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:44 PM EST

      This guy was a stupid worthless idiot for even going in a bug eating contest in the first place. Serves his dumb ass right!

      • 1 vote
      Reply#59 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:56 PM EST

      Shame on the Pet shop Ben Siegel Reptiles for hosting such a stupid contest. I almost go to jail for paying a homeless guy $10 to eat a dead mouse, and these idiots are allowed to have bug eating contests for a silly Ball Python, that you can adopt for free if you know the right outlets.

        Reply#60 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:56 PM EST

        "Like"!

          Reply#61 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:57 PM EST

          I keep picturing these old horror movies where you see the cockroaches climbing out of the corpses mouth. Wonder if that happened afterwards?

            Reply#62 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:58 PM EST

            Anybody that stupid is only taking up space and air.

            • 1 vote
            Reply#63 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:59 PM EST

            Only in Florida...

            • 2 votes
            Reply#64 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:59 PM EST

            Yeah, but the roaches must have come down from New York.

              #64.1 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 11:59 PM EST
              Reply

              You know, both of these stories are sad. The one about (almost) the whole family drowning is making me cry. The daughter has lost her family and most of you people on this site, are making stupid remarks. How cold and insensitive you all are!

              • 1 vote
              Reply#65 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:00 PM EST

              Self inflicted death by roach eating.

                Reply#66 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:00 PM EST
                birgithauDeleted

                This is a good thing. Next!

                  Reply#68 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:04 PM EST

                  Justice for a change. One more idiot who won't contaminate future generations. Win Win.

                  • 1 vote
                  Reply#69 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:07 PM EST

                  Never F with an insect that can survive a nuclear holocaust.

                  • 4 votes
                  Reply#70 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:08 PM EST

                  anything to be famous for 3 minutes, dumbass! Only in florida.

                  • 1 vote
                  Reply#71 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:13 PM EST

                  Easy with the Florida thing. I just moved here and I plan on straighting this $hit out down here.

                  • 3 votes
                  #71.1 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:17 PM EST

                  Dave, I could care less if you moved to Florida, low taxes in a state that hates the gov't, so this is what happens.. a state allows a ROACH eating contest as a sport to be famous? Low IQ don't you think?

                    #71.2 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 7:01 PM EST
                    Reply

                    Wow!! Cockroaches with the vendetta..

                    • 1 vote
                    Reply#72 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:14 PM EST

                    I think every now and then Nature decides to clean up the gene-pool... Sorry for the family's loss... But you can't fix "stupid."

                    • 1 vote
                    Reply#73 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:31 PM EST

                    Why don't these kids stick to safer pastimes. Like swallowing live goldfish.

                      Reply#74 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:38 PM EST

                      RIP... it's a shame. But honestly... there is an idiot born every minute. Seriously. WTH...? :-/

                      • 1 vote
                      Reply#75 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:38 PM EST

                      It's healthier to chew every bite 32 times.

                        Reply#76 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:40 PM EST

                        Wow. What can you say about someone who sacrificed his life to win a snake. He could have joined the military and thrown himself on an IED to save a fellow soldier. I just can't think of anything good to say about someone who tossed his life for nothing. Maybe he was good to his dog. Although, since he ate superworms and cockroaches, maybe he ate his dog also.

                        • 2 votes
                        Reply#77 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:43 PM EST

                        My only question is who gets the free snake? 2nd prize winner?? My heart goes out to all his inbred relatives and of course to the bugs that gave their lives in service.

                        • 2 votes
                        Reply#78 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:44 PM EST

                        I imagine the snake went to his next of kin - his legacy to his family. In the reading of the will "I leave most precious possession, my ball python that I died winning to my son Jerry Joe..."

                          #78.1 - Tue Nov 27, 2012 1:48 AM EST
                          Reply

                          Stupidity has a price.

                          • 1 vote
                          Reply#79 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:47 PM EST

                          Natural selection at it's finest.

                          • 2 votes
                          Reply#80 - Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:47 PM EST
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