Winona State student trapped in dumbwaiter
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Updated 7:30 a.m. | Posted 6:30 a.m.
A Minnesota college student who was found dead in a restaurant dumbwaiter had become tangled in the machine, authorities said Wednesday.
Brooke Baures, 21, died Monday evening at WingDam Saloon and Grill, a western Wisconsin restaurant where she worked as a bar employee. Baures, of Chetek, Wisconsin, was a standout gymnast at nearby Winona State University in Minnesota.
The dumbwaiter was used to shuttle food and drinks to the restaurant's second floor. Fountain City Police Officer Jason Mork said Baures was found "trapped inside the entirety of the device."
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Mork said he has interviewed about half the customers and employees at the restaurant the night of Baures' death without finding anyone who saw what happened. No formal conclusion has been reached but Monk said there's no indication it was anything other than an accident.
In a 911 call shortly before 8 p.m., a WingDam employee said she was afraid a co-worker had been caught in the machinery, the Winona Daily News reported.
"I think one of my co-workers got (caught) in, like, our dumbwaiter," she said, adding, "but I'm not willing to look close enough."
She asked a fellow employee to look, then said to the dispatcher, "It's her. We need someone here like ASAP," the Daily News reported.
On Wednesday night, members of Baures' family, friends, classmates and fellow gymnasts turned out for a candlelight vigil at the Winona State campus and shared stories and memories.
Teammate Jade Donaldson told WKBT-TV that no matter where she was, Baures was able to make a positive impact on people's lives. Donaldson says she was loving, caring and helpful.
