Heat contributes to death of Yakima Valley farmworker

TOPPENISH -- A Toppenish man is dead after being found in a Toppenish Hop field.

According to Yakima County Coroner Jim Curtice, a coworker found Florencio Gueta Vargas slumped over on a tractor on July 29th.

Conditions in the field at the time were 97 degrees.

Curtice says the presumed cause of death is arterial sclerotic heart diseases (a narrowing of the arteries) with the heat being the contributing factor in the death.

According to family Florencio was 69 years old.

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is investigating this on-the-job death.

A GoFundMe to help pay for his funeral expenses has been posted.

Family says Florencio leaves behind 6 daughters.