Report: Man drowns self in whiskey-making vat

Topics: In The News

The Glenfiddich portfolio including the 30 Year Old at the Glenfiddich 50 Years Old Tasting Event at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on June 17, 2010, in New York City.

(Credit: Getty Images)

A 46-year-old father-of-two committed suicide over the weekend by hurling himself into a 50,000-liter vat used to make whiskey at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Scotland, according to U.K. tabloid reports.

Rescue workers rushed to the scene late Saturday, but were unable to revive Brian Ettles, who was a longtime worker at the distillery, reports The Sun newspaper.

A spokesman for the local police told The Sun there were "no suspicious circumstances" surrounding the incident.

Ettles reportedly drowned himself just one day after celebrating his wife Irene's 54th birthday, The Daily Mail reports.

Neighbour Eileen Mackenzie, 67, told the Daily Mail: 'I am just really shocked. It's such a horrible way for someone to go and most people I have spoken to are really quite upset about it. He was just a young man and I have no idea what might have made him want to take his own life in such a way.'

It is unclear what, exactly, was inside the vat at the time of the drowning. The Sun reports that it was a mixture of water and yeast used in the early stages of the whiskey making process. The Daily Mail reports the vat was full of whiskey at the time.

The 125-year-old Glenfiddich Distillery was shut down to tourists after the incident. The award-winning whiskey maker is still run by the same family that founded the distillery in 1886.

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by AtlantaGuy111 January 19, 2012 9:46 PM EST: You STOLE Fizzy Lifting Drinks. You BUMPED into the ceiling which now needs to be washed and sterilized - so you get NOTHING! You LOSE! Good DAY, sir!; Reply to this comment


by St_Paul_Righteous January 18, 2012 12:54 PM EST: LOL Woodsy with a hint of cadavar.; Reply to this comment

by cruelty3 January 13, 2012 12:29 PM EST

I am disgusted with all of your comments. It is very desprespectful for the person himself and his close family and friends. It is embarrassing, disgusting and completely out of orde. You dare to call yourselves a human being? To me this shows you ashamed you all should be for the human race and in case you find yourselves having a good sense of humour, more stupid you!

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by St_Paul_Righteous January 18, 2012 12:55 PM EST: LOL but it's so funny! I bet he said to himself, "If I ever decide to check out, I want to be drowned in whisky!"


by St_Paul_Righteous January 18, 2012 12:55 PM EST: LOL but it's so funny! I bet he said to himself, "If I ever decide to check out, I want to be drowned in whisky!"

Oh yea, one more comment. Waaaaaaahh waaahha cry cry waaaaaah


by PourpaixPourpaix January 12, 2012 2:36 PM EST: Death in a vat of Glenfiddich is a horrible way to go? That fellow had a sense of style, he did.; Reply to this comment


by Lawyers-Guns-n-Money06 January 12, 2012 10:42 AM EST: by rational_1 January 12, 2012 8:40 AM EST
if you like good Scotch you'd probably want to go with... Laphroaig instead.

=======================================

A man after my own liver.

Cheers!; Reply to this comment


by randomites January 12, 2012 7:40 AM EST: Just a note.
In the U.S. and Ireland, the word is spelled "whiskey" with the "e", but in Canada, England and Scotland it's spelled "whisky", no "e".
Since this incident took place in Scotland, the headline is misspelled.
As I said, just a note. Either way this unfortunate man is dead.; Reply to this comment


by American_Scot January 12, 2012 7:32 AM EST: It's "whisky" actually. "Whiskey" refers to Irish and North American types, rye, bourbon etc. And let's show some respect for the poor man and his family. BTW I have been to the Glenfiddich distillery.; Reply to this comment


by deoppressoliber1964 January 12, 2012 7:17 AM EST: Woodsy, with just a hint of cadaver.; Reply to this comment

by BWB2020 January 12, 2012 3:33 AM EST

Well, there's always Glenlivet...

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by skyowner January 17, 2012 10:49 AM EST: Come on, you can't compare Lagavulin and Laphroaig to Glenlivet. Islay and Tayside are two different types of Scotch


by rwsmith29456 January 11, 2012 10:59 PM EST: "Neighbour Eileen Mackenzie, 67, told the Daily Mail: 'I am just really shocked. It's such a horrible way for someone to go....."
I don't know about that. Apparently he thought drowning in 50,000 gallons of whiskey was a great way to go.; Reply to this comment