Man dies following insect eating contest

State officials in Florida have reported that a man has died following an insect eating competition. The man consumed dozens of live worms and insects, including cockroaches.

The insect eating contest took place at a pet shop in the city of Deerfield Beach on Friday October 5, according to CNN. In total, some thirty people took part at the Ben Siegel Reptile Store, each eagerly consuming large quantities of live insects with the hope of securing the first prize: a python valued at $700. The Miami Herald reports that the winner, Edward Archbold aged 32, collapsed in the pet shop shortly after the contest had finished. The exact cause of death has yet to be announced. No other contestants have been reported as falling ill. The owner of the pet store, Ben Siegel has declared that all the contestants had signed disclaimers accepting full responsibility for any adverse effects which might result due to the contest. Speaking with WPLG, Siegel said that Archbold had consumed a great deal of insects, although he was unsure how many. Siegel said Archbold was "the life of the party" and that "he really made our night more fun." In putting across what exactly motivates someone to eat so many live insects, one of the contestants, Pharaoh Gayles, told WPTV: "Some of the snakes were pretty expensive. I thought if I could eat the bugs to get one, it'd be a good idea."