Oregon bakery worker trapped face down in dough

GLENWOOD, Ore. — A worker at a new, Eugene-area bakery was pinned face down in a trough of dough, unable to breathe, and was hospitalized in critical condition.

Bryan Byrne somehow was pinned between a Plexiglas machine guard and the trough of dough, which was moving slowly down a conveyor line, said Kevin Weeks, spokesman for the Oregon Occupational Health and Safety Division.

The movement of the machine pushed his face into the dough, Weeks said, and it is unknown how long he was in that position.

Once co-workers discovered Byrne, they had to unbolt the machine guard to extract him, and that took about 10 minutes, Weeks said.

The machine guard is designed to keep workers from coming into contact with the conveyor belt, Weeks said.

"At this point, we don't know exactly what happened," said Marc Albers, president of United States Bakery and Franz Family Bakeries in Portland, which owns the Williams' Bakery. "We don't know how he got there."

The accident happened Monday. Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene listed him today in critical condition.

Albers said Byrne had worked at Williams' Bakery for more than 30 years. Albers didn't know his age.

The $42 million bakery hosted an opening celebration in August. It moved from nearby Eugene.