A WOMAN tragically suffocated after becoming trapped in a donation bin, with her body found hanging partway out.
The unsettling scene was discovered early on Friday, June 27, when an individual noticed her protruding from the metal container.
The pink donation bin was situated outside a childcare center in Plantation, a city in South Florida approximately 30 miles north of Miami.
A worker arriving for her shift noticed the woman lodged in the bin and immediately called 911.
But it was too late as the woman was already dead by the time police arrived, the Daily Mail reported.
Cops said she appeared to have climbed into the donation container to retrieve clothing or shoes.
According to the Plantation Police, the woman got trapped and subsequently asphyxiated.
“At this time, it looks like this incident is an accident, but our detective bureau is conducting a full investigation,” Plantation Police said.
The woman was believed to be homeless, but had not yet been formally identified.
Police are working to notify her next of kin.
The medical examiner will determine the official cause of death.
“I am really shocked,” a daycare parent told ABC local affiliate WSVN.
“I was wondering if something happened, if a pipe burst or something. I didn’t expect to hear a body.”
Charity donation bins have been linked to a string of tragic deaths across North America.
More than 20 people died between 2007 and 2019 after getting stuck in the containers.
The bins are designed with a hatch that swings inward when pulled, then closes automatically.
People often get trapped when trying to remove clothes or other items from inside.
Others have accidentally dropped valuables in the bins and gotten stuck trying to retrieve them.
Tragic Deaths in Donation Bins
- 20+ deaths in the US and Canada tied to donation bins between 2007 and 2019
- Judith Permar, 52, died in 2017 after getting stuck while donating clothes in Pennsylvania
- Kaily Land, a homeless woman, suffocated in 2018 after falling headfirst into a bin in California
- Victims often die from suffocation, hypothermia, or stroke after getting trapped
- Experts have called the bins “death traps” and pushed for safety redesigns
Some homeless individuals have reportedly climbed inside seeking shelter and were unable to escape.
In 2017, Judith Permar, 52, died in Pennsylvania while donating clothes around 2 am.
She stood on a step stool to reach the hatch, but it tipped over, leaving her suspended with her arm stuck.
Permar broke her arm and wrist and died of hypothermia after hanging for six hours.
Victims can die from suffocation, pressure on the chest, stroke, or even starvation if not found in time.
NOT THE FIRST TIME
In 2018, Kaily Land, a homeless woman in Petaluma, California, died after falling in head-first and becoming trapped.
Her mom later sued the box maker operator, warning they knew or should have known how deadly the containers could be.
Ray Taheri, an engineering professor in Canada, previously called the bins “death traps” after two people died in separate incidents in 2019.
“They get stuck there. They try to crawl in, but the further they go they get more stuck,” he told CTV at the time.
Taheri urged that the boxes could be made safer with smaller openings, motion sensors or interior emergency release handle.
