Ventura County man dies while working on Oxnard farm amid heat wave

OXNARD, Calif. - A Ventura County farm worker, Oscar Pimentel, tragically passed away while working in the fields on September 7th during the late summer heatwave.

Pimentel's family believes his death was due to heat-related illness, as his passing occurred during a week of unusually high temperatures across Southern California.

He was 43 years old.

His employer, Del Sol Harvesting, disputes this claim, suggesting that other health issues may have played a role in his death.

According to a statement from the company’s attorney, Cal OSHA's heat stress guidelines were shared with farm employees just one day before the incident. On September 7th, temperatures in Oxnard reached 81°F, which, according to meteorologists, did not trigger an extreme heat warning.

California regulations require employers to provide shade when temperatures exceed 80°F and encourage regular breaks even if temperatures don’t reach that threshold.

Pimentel's wife, who was working at another field had experienced different work hours that day.

"The growers at her farm had stopped them from working that day at 10 in the morning. Unfortunately, where Oscar was working, workers were still working until late in the afternoon." Dr. Martita Martinez-Bravo/Executive Director, Friends of Fieldworkers. "So I think there are some discrepancies there."

His brother, Roberto Pimentel Paez, described him as a dedicated father who was deeply committed to his family.

An official cause of death has yet to be determined by the county medical examiner.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has been set up to support Pimentel's wife and two daughters.