Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Man who fell ill at work found dead in forest after boss dropped him there rather than call ambulance

Employer reportedly feared being caught with undocumented workers

Tom Embury-Dennis
Monday 24 June 2019 17:56 BST
Comments
Man who fell ill at work found dead in forest after boss dropped him there rather than call ambulance

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A man who fell ill at work has been found dead in a forest after his boss dropped him off there rather than call an ambulance.

Vasyl Chorny's body was discovered in western Poland by a forester on 13 June, but was only reported this week by Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza.

The newspaper said Chorny, a Ukrainian man, was working in a coffin workshop illegally, which was why his employer did not call emergency services.

The 36-year-old reportedly became weak and started convulsing before fainting in the hot and fuel-filled carpenters' workshop in the western village of Jastrzebsko Stare.

Colleagues told authorities the workshop owner, identified only as Grazyna F due to privacy laws, banned them from calling an ambulance because she feared being caught with undocumented workers.

The woman was arrested last week and charged with unintentionally causing Chorny's death. She faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

The case highlights the vulnerability of many Ukrainians working in Poland, where a booming economy has attracted workers from its struggling eastern neighbour.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Some 1.2 million Ukrainians are officially registered in Poland but migration experts believe that hundreds of thousands more could be working there illegally.

Additional reporting by AP

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in