PADDOCK LAKE — Three separate customers found worms in their drinks from the drive-thru soda machine at the McDonald's on 75th Street in Paddock Lake. An official inspection report obtained by TMJ4 reveals management had already noticed worms coming from a sewage receptacle under the machine.
It started when Jazmyne Gurske posted on a local Facebook group after finding a worm in her drink. Two other customers who did not know her saw the post and commented with their own pictures. They had experienced the same thing.
"We threw all the rest of it away right away because it was so disgusting," Gurske said. "We didn't want to consume anything from there."
Customer Joe Hauenstein had it even worse. He was drinking his sweet tea when he felt something in his mouth that he knew wasn't ice. He spit it out into his hand — it was a worm. He had already drunk about half of his drink before it slithered up his straw.
"It's not just an earthworm — it's a sewage worm, so that makes it even worse," Hauenstein said. "You don't know what's on that worm. From it being sewage — it can have parasites, you can get sick from it, and they knew about it."
The official Kenosha County Public Health inspection report states that the tiles under the drive-thru soda and ice machine are severely damaged — and that management indicated they had noticed worms coming out of the sewage receptacle over the past weekend.
Watch: Customers find worms in their drinks at Paddock Lake McDonald's
A health officer also noted that recent flooding may have caused a failure in the floor drain and tiles, potentially allowing water to back siphon into components of the machine.
Management said they hired a pest control company to service the area. Tile repairs are expected to be completed soon.
A reinspection by Kenosha County Public Health is required before the drive-thru soda machine can be put back into service.
TMJ4 News contacted the McDonald's location directly. The manager said they are not permitted to comment and referred us to their licensee, McEssy Investment Co. We spoke with a representative who transferred us to another contact. We have called multiple times and left messages, but have not received a response.
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