A winemaker in Italy tragically died after being crushed to death by his own grape press.
Matteo Forner, 44, was cleaning the press around 7:45 p.m. local time on Friday, Oct. 10, when it unexpectedly started operating, trapping him inside, according to an Italian translation of Corriere del Veneto.
The incident occurred at a winery Matteo helped his family build, as reported by Il Gazzettino.
Reports state that Matteo’s neck was broken during the accident, and he is believed to have died instantly. His father, Lino — the founder of the agricultural company Pat del Colmél — witnessed the incident.
Both Matteo and Lino reportedly thought the machine was switched off at the time. However, it appears the machine had been disabled by a temporary power outage and restarted automatically once electricity was restored.
Emergency responders, including firefighters and doctors, arrived at the scene, where Matteo was pronounced dead. His body was later transported to the Castelfranco Veneto mortuary.
Matteo was set to celebrate his 45th birthday in less than two weeks, according to Il Gazzettino. He was also well known in the Grappa area, especially following his 2022 election to the city council for the Castelcucco Nuova party, per Corriere del Veneto.
Mayor Paolo Mares, whom Matteo supported, expressed his condolences to the family, saying his “world fell apart” upon hearing the news.
“Before being a city councilor, Matteo was a dear friend,” Mares said, per Il Gazzettino. “He was kind and helpful, a tireless worker. I remember when, some time ago, due to bad weather, I asked the councilors for help with a tree trunk that had fallen onto a road due to the rain. He was the first to respond, and within 20 minutes the tree was gone.”
He added, “Work-wise, he was a monster, and it was evident in the work he did at the winery. Today we lose a truly precious person, and for the entire community as well. The only thing I know, in the darkness of this tragedy, is that the Forner family is a strong family. It’s in their blood. And I’m sure the same is true for Matteo’s son.”
Matteo is survived by his parents, his 15-year-old son, and his brother and sister, according to Corriere del Veneto.
