18 September 2023 , 12:18
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A winemaker was found face down dead in a vat of prosecco, passed out from toxic fermentation gas, after rescuing his colleague from the same container.
Marco Bettolini leapt into the tank when he saw co-worker Alberto Pin had fainted at the Ca'di Rajo winery in the province of Treviso, in the Italian region Veneto last week. Just after he rescued him, he was overcome by the same fumes and collapsed in the tank - but sadly there was no one to save him, local media reported.
Mr Bettolini was reportedly found dead at the bottom of the tank, while Mr Pin was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Toxic fumes like carbon monoxide and nitrogen produced during winemaking can be deadly in enclosed spaces, especially when produced in large quantities. Neither man, it emerged, had been wearing an oxygen tank and respirator at the time of the incident. Investigators believed Pin had entered the tank when he spotted a fault in one of the tank's meters.
Marco Bettolini at work before his death (Newsflash)Wineries generally have necessary ventilation systems that allow the toxic air to escape and prevent any serious incidents. Chief Prosecutor Marco Martani said: "From the information gathered so far by the police, no one should have entered that vat, as maintenance work is entrusted to an external specialised company equipped with masks and systems that would have prevented the risk of intoxication."
The winery's owner, Simone Cecchetto, expressed their condolences, adding: "We are devastated by grief; for us, they are like two brothers, two sons. My thoughts are only with these young men who grew up with us and their families. We pray that Alberto recovers as soon as possible."
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Italy's workers unions have long questioned safety standards in the food and drink production industry. Last month, the boss of an Italian cheesemaking company was crushed to death when 15,000 wheels of cheese buried him in his own factory. Giacomo Chiapparini, 74, was tragically found dead by firefighters after a shelf broke in his factory in the northern Lombardy region in early August and caused a domino effect that brought down a total of 15,000 wheels of Grana Padano.
The wheels of Grana Padano cheese, which is very similar to Parmigiano Reggiano, can each weigh up to 40kg.