A security guard preparing for next month's Winter Olympics in Italy has died after collapsing in extreme cold during an overnight shift. The tragic incident has prompted a major investigation into working conditions at the event's construction sites.
Fatal Shift in Freezing Conditions
Pietro Zantonini, aged 55, was carrying out security duties at an ice rink in Cortina d'Ampezzo in northern Italy when the incident occurred. Temperatures had plunged to a bitter -16 degrees Celsius in the early hours of Friday morning, around 2am.
Reports indicate Zantonini began to feel unwell while working and managed to contact colleagues to request assistance. An alarm was raised immediately, and an ambulance rushed to the scene. Despite the swift response from emergency services, he was pronounced dead.
Subsequent investigations have revealed the 55-year-old suffered a fatal heart attack as he collapsed in the snow. Andrea Varnier, CEO of the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, confirmed to reporters that preliminary information pointed to a death by natural causes. "The information we have is that it was a death by natural cause, it was a heart attack. And we are investigating," Varnier stated.
Questions Over Working Conditions and Shelter
The circumstances surrounding Zantonini's shift have come under intense scrutiny. It has emerged that the guard, originally from Brindisi, was working from a small booth heated only by a portable heater. His duties required him to leave this shelter every two hours to patrol the construction area.
In an official statement, his family revealed he had frequently complained about his working conditions. They stated he "was working a night shift outdoors in particularly harsh weather conditions and frequently complained about his working conditions."
Italy's Infrastructure Minister, Matteo Salvini, has now called for a "full and rigorous investigation" into the death. Prosecutors are examining whether the tragedy was linked solely to the extreme cold or if there were failures connected to shift organisation and working conditions.
Olympic Preparations Under Shadow
The infrastructure company Simico, involved with the Olympic preparations, has expressed its condolences to Zantonini's family. In a statement, the company noted that the specific construction site was not under its direct responsibility and said it would await the outcome of official investigations.
This tragic event casts a shadow over the final preparations for the Winter Olympics, scheduled to take place between 6 and 22 February. The incident raises urgent questions about the duty of care for workers involved in large-scale international events, particularly those operating in hazardous environmental conditions.
As the investigation continues, the focus remains on whether adequate measures were in place to protect staff from the severe alpine winter, ensuring such a tragedy is not repeated.
