A 29-year-old temporary factory worker in Camden County, NJ., has died after falling into an eight-foot (2.4 meter) deep vat of melted chocolate.

The man, Vincent Smith II, was with three workers dumping chunks of chocolate into the simmering liquid when he lost his balance and fell in.

A spokesperson for the Cocoa Services Inc., processing plant said a co-worker tried to shut off the appliance and two others attempted to pull Smith out of the vat, but he was hit by a piece of equipment called an agitator used to stir the mixture.

Television footage showed one of his distraught colleagues standing outside the factory, his clothes covered in chocolate, after he had tried to rescue the man.

Jason Laughlin, spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, said an investigation has been launched into the incident, but “at this point there’s no suggestion of foul play. It appears to be an accident”.

Cocoa Services Inc., is a privately owned company located in Moorestown, NJ. with an annual revenue of about $US650,000 and a staff of about 10.