The recent death of Marco Antonio Hernandez Guevara, a 35-year-old farmworker from Immokalee, has left his family devastated and searching for answers. Hernandez Guevara's wife, Reyna Jimenez, and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers believe heat stroke may have been the cause.
Hernandez Guevara was in the U.S. on an H-2A visa for harvesting work. Although he had worked in Florida before, this was his first time with a new company.
"He said, because it's a new company, I don't know how they treat people here, nor do I know the protocols here. And I just told him, yes, my love, don't worry, you're going to have good luck, you'll see, you're a very hard worker," said Jimenez.
That was on August 12. His first day at work passed, and Jimenez did not hear from him.
After repeated calls and texts to Hernandez Guevara and his boss, she eventually learned he was on life support after collapsing, likely due to heat stroke.
Within days, Jimenez was able to make it to the U.S. on a humanitarian visa. She was at his side until he died on August 21.
Now, Jimenez is left with questions as to what exactly happened to a man who was otherwise healthy.
"He had been here in Florida to work before. That's why any thought that this heatstroke was because he couldn't withstand the heat isn't true... he had come before," said Jimenez.
She added, "I just ask that they investigate things thoroughly because my husband didn't come from Mexico sick; he came with the hope of supporting his family."
WINK News reached out to OSHA and the Collier County Medical Examiner's Office about the case. OSHA is still investigating, while the Medical Examiner's Office stated, "At this time, Mr. Hernandez Guevara’s cause and manner of death are pending for additional testing. This testing can take several months to be completed."
Despite the Medical Examiner still not giving an official cause of death, the Coalition of Immokalee Farmworkers is warning people of the importance of staying safe in Florida heat.
"This was a tragedy that was absolutely not necessary," said Laura Vasquez, with the Fair Food Program, which is a part of the Coalition of Immokalee Farmworkers. "There are very simple things that could be put in place to make sure these kinds of things don't happen."
The Fair Food Program is a partnership meant to benefit everyone in the supply chain: workers, growers, retailers, and consumers. Participating growers and buyers agree to implement the program's worker-informed “Code of Conduct," which also outlines the heat safety protocols.
"In the Fair Food Program, we have heat stress protocols, which include provision of shade near where the worker is working, access to water and electrolytes and periodic breaks that are mandatory," said Vasquez.
All of which Jimenez believes could have helped save her husband.
"I just ask that this what happened to my husband is thoroughly investigated so that other families don't have to go through what I'm going through," said Jimenez.
To learn more about the Fair Food Program, click here.