On March 30th, 2017, Caitlin Nelson, a junior at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, participated in a school-approved pancake-eating contest. The event was held as part of Sacred Heart’s annual Greek Week festival. What was intended to be a fun way to raise money for charity ended in tragedy. Tragically, Nelson choked to death on pancakes, and now her family is suing the school, claiming their daughter’s death was “100% preventable.”
It didn’t take long for the pancakes to lodge in Nelson’s throat and completely block her airway. Mere minutes into the contest, Nelson began to “shake uncontrollably” and collapsed, according to her family’s lawsuit per The Washington Post.
First responders found that Nelson’s mouth “was compacted with pancakes almost to her teeth,” the suit reads. One officer even stated that the “glob of pancake paste in her airway” was “like concrete.”
Although Nelson was still alive when she was rushed to the hospital, she died four days later having suffered severe brain damage from lack of oxygen. Her cause of death was ruled “asphyxia as a result of an obstruction of her airway,” according to the Hartford Courant.
Not only is Nelson’s family seeking money damages, but they’re also hoping to bring awareness to the dangers of amateur eating contests and to prevent other families from going through such a crushing loss.
“These contests are significantly more dangerous than people realize and it’s critically important for the public — especially educational institutions — to understand that certain foods are safer than others and a modicum of forethought can literally save lives,” the family’s attorney, Katie Mesner-Hage, told the Post on October 30th.
The lawsuit blames Sacred Heart for allowing a pancake-eating contest to occur without realizing how dangerous speed-eating bread-like foods can be. When met with saliva, pancakes become incredibly thick to the point where the Heimlich maneuver and mechanical suction are ineffective.
The mother of a college student who choked to death on pancakes during an eating contest on campus last year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university. Rosanne Nelson sued Sacred Heart University over the death of her daughter, 20-year-old Caitlin Nelson https://t.co/RrY1C8VXX7
— Ben Becker (@BenBeckerANjax) October 30, 2018
Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that the school did not have the proper safety personnel onsite to deal with medical issues.
Nelson, who lost her New York City police office father in 9/11, was planning to become a licensed clinical social worker. Sacred Heart cannot provide comment on the suit, but all can agree this was a terrible accident.
Although one never completely heals from losing a child, hopefully Nelson’s family can find some sort of peace once this lawsuit is said and done.
