What started out as a routine family meal turned into a nightmare for one Wisconsin family.
The Scharenbroch family were heading into a Denny's restaurant when their son stepped on a green cover in the parking lot. The cover was loose, flipped up, and Wyatt Scharenbroch, 3, fell inside the approximately eight-foot-deep hole, according to the WITI report.
The hole was actually a vat full of cold grease.
Father Dan Scharenbroch quickly reacted to his wife’s screams and was able to grab a hold of the boy’s jacket as he was bobbing up and down in the slippery substance.
The boy was safely removed from the grease vat and brought inside the restaurant until emergency responders arrived. The parents stripped off the boy’s clothes and tried to clean him off. The boy was taken to the hospital as a precaution, but other than a few minor cuts and bruises suffered during the fall, he did not suffer any serious injuries.
The city said it is the restaurant’s responsibility to make sure the grease pits are secure.
Denny’s said in a public statement that the maintenance of the vats is contracted out to a vendor and that Denny’s is working with that company to make sure the vat lids remain secure at all times.
The family has not decided yet whether they will take legal action.
About the Author
