MIAMI (AP) — The winner of a roach-eating contest in South Florida died shortly after downing dozens of the live bugs as well as worms, authorities said Monday.

About 30 contestants ate the insects during Friday night's contest at Ben Siegel Reptile Store in Deerfield Beach about 40 miles north of Miami. The grand prize was a python.

Edward Archbold, 32, of West Palm Beach became ill shortly after the contest ended and collapsed in front of the store, according to a Broward Sheriff's Office statement released Monday. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Authorities were waiting for results of an autopsy to determine a cause of death.

"Unless the roaches were contaminated with some bacteria or other pathogens, I don't think that cockroaches would be unsafe to eat," said Michael Adams, professor of entomology at the University of California at Riverside, who added that he has never heard of someone dying after consuming roaches. "Some people do have allergies to roaches," he said, "but there are no toxins in roaches or related insects."

None of the other contestants became ill, the sheriff's office said.

There was no updated phone number listed for Archbold in West Palm Beach.

"We feel terribly awful," said store owner Ben Siegel, who added that Archbold did not appear to be sick before the contest. "He looked like he just wanted to show off and was very nice," Siegel said, adding that Archbold was "the life of the party."

Siegel said Archbold was selling the exotic prize to a friend who took him to the contest.
A statement from Siegel's attorney said all the participants signed waivers "accepting responsibility for their participation in this unique and unorthodox contest."

The bugs consumed were from an inventory of insects "that are safely and domestically raised in a controlled environment as food for reptiles."

I wonder what he woulda done for a Klondike bar......

LIVE bugs,, some idiocy just takes its own risks,,,,

may he rest in peace,,,

Did I ever tell you the time some woman talked me into buying chocolate covered cockroaches? 3 for $5 and you know what? They tasted like regular cockroaches to me.

I think that the darker ones are more tastier and crispy.

A guy I knew in college would eat a big cockroach for five dollars.

But he was not a reptile,why debase yourself to eat reptile's food?.Madness

Look how many vegetarians there are. Are they rabbits?

The big ones that fly are much juicier. They spurt goo when ya' crunch 'em.

I'd figure that the lazy fat ones who don't fly would be more tender.

The juicier roaches are all in DC!

But hey, this year in FL with all the heat and rain, they need to hold this every day.....we could feed the world!

Mmmmm.

They add a little more crunch to your Capt Crunch!

... A well fed fly defecates at least once every 5 minutes!

Seems flies are attracted to s.......such things.