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Mongaup Valley man killed in workplace accident

By Matt Shortall
Posted 7/5/22

SULLIVAN — A 36-year-old employee of Hudson Valley Foie Gras died last month after suffering a workplace accident.

The exact circumstances of the accident were not known as of presstime but, …

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Mongaup Valley man killed in workplace accident

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SULLIVAN — A 36-year-old employee of Hudson Valley Foie Gras died last month after suffering a workplace accident.

The exact circumstances of the accident were not known as of presstime but, according to an obituary, Gerardo “Jerry” Contreras Garcia of Mongaup Valley died on June 19.

A spokesperson for the New York State Police confirmed the accident and said that no foul play was suspected, but referred questions to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is leading an investigation.

The Democrat reached out to OSHA for further information, but received no response as of presstime on Friday.

A Gofund me page to benefit Garcia’s family has been established at tinyurl.com/5645u25m.

Garcia was a skilled chef and is remembered for his love of cooking. He’s described as a hard-working family man who was always smiling.

“He was full of love, light and positivity. When he was not with his family, he was working to provide for his family,” the GoFundMe page reads. “Jerry has left behind three beautiful children, his wife, parents, brothers, sister, nieces, nephews, inlaws, and many friends. He was loved by so many and will be missed terribly.”

The Democrat reached out to Hudson Valley Foie Gras (HVFG) and received the following statement:

“There was a tragic accident involving one of our HVFG employees [in June]. The accident took place at one of our manufacturing partner's facilities, not at the farm. Because the incident is still being investigated by authorities, we cannot comment any further at this time other than to say our thoughts and prayers are with [his] family.”

Located on 200 acres in Ferndale, HVFG is one of the main producers of Foie Gras and duck products in the United States. HVFG, along with other producers, recently filed a lawsuit to overturn a New York City law which would take effect in November and ban the sale of foie gras within city limits (See page 1A).

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