Man who died after roach eating contest choked on bug parts

An autopsy report for a Florida man who collapsed and died after a roach eating contest showed that he choked on bits of the bugs, reports NBC News. 

Edward Archbold, 32, vomited after downing more than 20 giant cockroaches during a "Midnight Madness" event at a reptile store in Deerfield Beach, Fla on October 6. 

He collapsed in front of the store and was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

An autopsy report released by the Broward County medical examiner's office said the cause of death was "asphyxia due to choking and aspiration of gastric contents".

Archbold's airway was blocked by bits of roaches and left him unable to breathe. 

"There is a flap called the epiglottis that is supposed to stop objects from going into the lungs," medical examiner Craig T. Mallak wrote in an email to the AP.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't always work. In the video you could see him trying to swallow and breathe at the same time. We can't do both simultaneously."

Lab tests for any toxic substances or drugs came back negative. 

Archbold was among 20 to 30 contestants participating in bug eating event at Ben Siegel Reptiles. The store declined to say how many bugs that Archbold had eaten but none of the other contestants became ill. 

"It's hard to even think about it," Kim Crawford, co-owner of Busch Canvas & Interiors where Archbold had worked, told AP. "It does bring a little closure because not knowing always puts that question mark out there."