A 44-year-old winemaker in Italy has died after being crushed by his own grape press, in a tragic accident witnessed by his father. Matteo Forner was cleaning the machine at the family winery on 10 October when it suddenly activated, breaking his neck and killing him instantly, according to local reports.
The incident occurred around 7:45 p.m. at the Pat del Colmél winery in the Veneto region. Both Matteo and his father Lino believed the press was switched off, but a temporary power outage had caused the machine to stop, and it restarted when power was restored, Italian media reported.
Firefighters and doctors attended the scene, but Matteo was pronounced dead. His body was taken to the Castelfranco Veneto mortuary. The winemaker, who was due to celebrate his 45th birthday in less than two weeks, was also a local councillor for the Castelcucco Nuova party, having been elected in 2022.
Mayor Paolo Mares expressed his condolences, saying his 'world fell apart' upon hearing the news. 'Before being a city councillor, Matteo was a dear friend. He was kind and helpful, a tireless worker,' Mares told Il Gazzettino. He recalled how Matteo had once helped clear a fallen tree from a road within 20 minutes.
The Forner family has owned the winery since 1875. Matteo had led the business in recent years. He is survived by his parents, a 15-year-old son, and a brother and sister.
