(NEWSER) – A North Carolina teenager died one of the most horrific workplace deaths imaginable on his first day on the job. Mason Cox, 19, died on Saturday after being pulled feet-first into a wood chipper, police in Kings Mountain say.WSOC reports that co-workers who had been cutting down trees in a yard were so distressed by the sight of Cox’s body that they ran around ripping off their gloves and hats, causing neighbors to think that they were being attacked by bees. Police say John Crawford (some sources have him listed as Jon Crawford), the owner of Crawford’s Tree and Stump Grinding Service, was hospitalized after having a heart attack at the scene, the station reports.

Officials tell WRAL that Cox apparently became caught in the machine when he tried to kick a tree limb inside and his clothing snagged. Crawford, who has temporarily shut down the business, says Cox had been assigned a task considered safe for a beginner. “I’ve been in the business for 26 years. I’ve had one other accident where a person was injured. Mason Cox was working side by side with two experienced employees,” he tells WBTV, adding that he is grief-stricken over the incident. “I have not slept. I am sick from it,” he says. “I would trade places with that child right now.” Cox’s mother says she started screaming when she discovered how he died. “I loved him very much and I’m going to miss him very much,” she tells WBTV.

Brutal first day on the job for Mason, huh? Happens to the best of us really. Come in on the first day not making any friends, too scared to ask your boss to do anything and try to make it as long as you can before asking questions and looking like a fuck up but trying the best you can to make it till you clock out. I remember a friend of mine on their first day accidentally deleted the entire days record because he had no idea what the fuck to do and didn’t want to annoy people. Boom, all that money on the books just got cooked. Another friend of mine came in the first day hung over and dropped an entire pallet of milk because he was too much of a man to ask how to use the fork lift and tried to mop that shit up all before his managers lunch break ended. You know what that is? Its pride. Hubris beyond a reasonable level. Was it an idiot move to jam your foot down a wood chipper because a tree branch was stuck in it? Was it dumb to jam around fork lift controls like its a n64 controller? Yes. But at the end of the day theres a level of respect from me to know this kid had the balls to not show any signs of being a pussy and unsure of himself. He took a shot, and it obliterated him. RIP Mason, I’ll let the world know you didn’t go out a pussy, just, pride got the best of you.