A South Dakota man died Thursday after choking while participating in a Fourth of July hot dog eating contest in Custer, S.D.
Custer County sheriff Rick Wheeler says that Walter Eagle Tail suffocated after the hot dog got lodged in his throat and paramedics couldn’t get it out. Eagle Tail was later rushed to a hospital where he died. He was only 47.
A pie-eating contest scheduled for the next day was cancelled in honor of Eagle Tail.
“Walter was just being Walter, having fun when he entered this contest,” Ardis McRae, a friend of Eagle Tail, said. “He was just having a good time.”
Food-eating competitions are popular during Fourth of July weekend, but it’s sad to see an event that’s meant to be fun end in tragedy.
Photo via Facebook/Ardis M. McRae
