Family: Man dies after falling into concrete mixer at Lehigh Acres business

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla.- A 23-year-old man was killed in a workplace accident Wednesday morning at Oldcastle Coastal on Leonard Boulevard North, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

Family members say Zavarius Philius was killed when he fell into a concrete mixer.

“This is unbelievable, we still don’t believe it,” said Vickie Jones, who raised the victim. “He was a happy-go-lucky person. Always hugging. When he would come in the room, he’d give everybody a hug.”

Vickie and Andre Jones are the owners of Jonesez BBQ and took Philius is as their adopted son. They said they are trying to withhold judgement about their Philius’ death until an investigation is complete. Philius worked with them but picked up a second job at Oldcastle Coastal just three months ago.

The facility was shut down last week for mechanical issues, Vickie Jones said.

“To come from being closed down for four or five days and then going back to work because of machinery malfunction or whatever and now my son is dead — it’s more than a freak accident to me,” she said.

A sign posted on Oldcastle Coastal’s door Wednesday said the business would remain closed, reopening on Thursday.

An inspector with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) went to the business as part of the investigation. The company, with several locations throughout southwest Florida, has not had any previous work violations in the past five years at its Lehigh Acres site.

The company has not returned requests for comment but the Jones family said they want answers.