Abstract: ON THE AFTERNOON OF DECEMBER 1, 1991, EMPLOYEE #1, AN OPERATOR, WAS WORKING AT A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OWNED BY THE CITY OF NEW ILONA, LA. HE WAS AN EMPLOYEE OF A.T.S. SERVICE, INC., A PRIVATE CONTRACTOR THAT MAINTAINED AND OPERATED THE PLANT. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK BY HIMSELF AT THE PLANT. IT IS BELIEVED THAT SOME TIME DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AS HE WALKED ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF THE AERATION PIT, HE FELL IN, DROWNED, AND BECAME CAUGHT UP IN AERATION MACHINERY. EFFORTS WERE MADE TO FIND EMPLOYEE #1 BUT HIS BODY WAS NOT RECOVERED UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 10:00 AM ON DECEMBER 3, 1991, AFTER THE PIT WAS DRAINED. THERE WERE NO GUARDRAILS AROUND THE SIDES OF THE PIT, WHICH MEASURED 88 FEET WIDE BY 136 FEET LONG. THERE WAS NO KNOWN EYEWITNESS TO THIS ACCIDENT.