Bowling alley owner, 65, dies after getting stuck inside a pin setting machine

The owner of a bowling alley was killed after getting impaled in a pin setting machine in what police described as a ‘tragic accident’.

Florence Police Department was called to Fremont Lanes Sunday afternoon in Colorado when a man was reported stuck inside a pin setting machine.

Officers found the alley’s owner, Ector Rodriguez, 65, inside the machine, unconscious and not breathing.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics a short time later.

Florence Bowling Alley (pictured) where proprietor Ector Rodriguez died on Sunday 

Floral tributes left outside the bowling alley for Rodriquez, who was described as a 'hero' 

Floral tributes left outside the bowling alley for Rodriquez, who was described as a ‘hero’ 

It is not clear how he ended up inside the pin setting machine. 

Florence Police Chief Mike Delaurentis said the incident appeared to be a tragic accident. It continues to be investigated, but foul play is not suspected.

A sign on the front door of the Fremont Lanes bowling alley in Florence, Colorado said it will ‘closed until further notice’. 

It is understood that Rodriquez, who was a well-known and respected businessman in the community, went to the back to fix one of the automatic pin setters.

An employee noticed he had been gone longer than expected. She went to find out what was taking so long.

Mike Delaurentis told KOAA: ‘She walked back there, found him impaled in the machine. Called 911’. 

Despite the best efforts of first responders, Rodriguez could not be saved.

He said of the businessman: ‘I’ve talked to him hundreds of times, probably in my 11 years, I’ve seen him on the street where he sits outside.

‘He would always try to help, I remember there was a few times where we had some incidents with homeless people and some people under the influence of narcotics and he tried to help them’. 

A large array of floral tributes have been left outside the premises as a mark of respect to the deceased.

One bouquet has note with the phrase; ‘hero of the community.’ 

Locals in the town said Rodriquez would be sorely missed by everyone who knew him as he made people feel welcome at the bowling alley for decades.

He often sat on a bench out front greeting and talking to people.

Makara, a long-time resident familiar with Rodriguez,  told KOAA: ‘My heart hurts deeply for the fact that he’s not here anymore.

‘This is going to be a loss to downtown and being a small town, that kind of loss is a big loss.’

‘If you don’t want to hang out a bar and you want a date night, and you wanted a place to go, well this place is the place’.

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk