USP Atwater’s mailroom supervisor in California, United States (US) March Fischer has reportedly passed away after coming into contact with mail that was “saturated in an unknown substance.”

According to the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons, Fischer, a Coast Guard veteran and dedicated prison employee for 23 years, began feeling unwell after the exposure and was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Another employee was also exposed to the substance and required hospitalization but has since been released, a spokesperson for the agency confirmed.

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The statement reads, “On Friday, August 9, USP Atwater and the Federal Bureau of Prisons lost one of our own.

“Tragically, despite the swift response from his co-workers and local emergency medical services, Supervisory Correctional Systems Specialist Marc Fischer was pronounced deceased upon arriving at the local hospital.”

Authorities have initiated an investigation into Fischer’s death, with law enforcement looking into the possibility that the mail may have contained fentanyl, as reported by the Associated Press.

In response to the incident, visitations at the Atwater facility have been suspended until further notice, as stated on the prison’s website.

USP Atwater is a high-security prison located in Merced County, California, approximately 130 miles from San Francisco, housing around 1,200 inmates.

Fischer had a long-standing career at the facility, having served as a correctional officer for three years before his promotion to Supervisory Correctional Systems Specialist in 2009.

Fischer is survived by his wife, son, daughter, and “countless grieving friends and colleagues,” the Bureau of Prisons said.