Winemaker is found dead face down in a vat of Prosecco after passing out due to toxic fumes while rescuing a co-worker who had fallen.
- Marco Bettolini would have been found dead at the bottom of the Prosecco tank
A winemaker was found dead face down in a huge vat of Prosecco when he passed out due to toxic fermentation gas after rescuing a co-worker who had fallen ill.
The heroic Marco Bettolini jumped into the tank when he saw that his co-worker Alberto Pin had fainted at the Ca’ di Rajo winery in the province of Treviso, in the Italian region of Veneto, on Thursday of last week.
But Bettolini was also quickly overcome by the same fumes and collapsed in the tank after rescuing his friend, local media reported.
Both winemakers fell into the vat, but only Mr. Bettolini died. He was reportedly found dead at the bottom of the Prosecco tank while Pin was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Toxic fumes such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen produced during winemaking can be deadly in enclosed spaces, especially when produced in large quantities.
Marco Bettolini (pictured), an Italian winemaker, reportedly drowned in a vat of wine that fell into fermentation while trying to save a colleague.
The heroic Marco Bettolini (pictured) jumped into the tank when he saw that his co-worker Alberto Pin had fainted at the Ca’ di Rajo winery in the province of Treviso.
It was learned that neither man was wearing an oxygen tank and a respirator at the time of the incident.
Accident investigators believe Pin had entered the tank when he saw a fault in one of the tank’s gauges.
An autopsy will be performed to determine if Bettollini died from drowning or asphyxiation.
Warehouses usually have the necessary ventilation systems that allow toxic air to escape and prevent serious incidents.
Chief prosecutor Marco Martani said: “According to the information collected so far by the police, no one should have entered that tub, since the maintenance work is entrusted to a specialized external company, equipped with masks and systems that would have prevented the risk of poisoning”.
Winery owner Simone Cecchetto expressed her condolences, adding: ‘We are devastated by the pain; For us they are like two brothers, two children.
‘My thoughts are only with these young people who grew up with us and their families. We pray that Alberto recovers as soon as possible.”
Pin remains hospitalized in an intensive care unit.
The investigation is ongoing. The local health authority is also examining the case.
Around 15,000 wheels of cheese collapsed after a shelf caused a deadly domino effect at its factory (pictured)
Cheesemaker Giacomo Chiapparini leaves behind his wife, two children and several grandchildren
Italy’s labor unions have long questioned safety standards in the food and beverage production industry.
It comes after the boss of an Italian cheese company was crushed to death last month when 15,000 wheels of cheese buried him in his own factory.
Giacomo Chiapparini, 74, was tragically found dead by firefighters after a rack at his factory in the northern region of Lombardy broke in early August, triggering a deadly domino effect that toppled a total of 15,000 Grana Padano wheels. .
Wheels of Grana Padano cheese, very similar to Parmigiano Reggiano, can weigh up to 40 kg each.
