Heartbreaking Winter Olympics Incident: Guard Dies of Heart Attack in -12C Cold, Just Weeks Before the Games

A SECURITY guard working near to a Winter Olympics stadium has frozen to death after suffering a heart attack in -12C weather.

Pietro Zantonini, 55, was on a night shift at a construction site in the Alps when he collapsed at around 2am due to the bitter cold.

Italian security guard Pietro Zantonini has frozen to death after suffering a heart attack in -12C weather near to an Olympic construction siteCredit: Newsflash The 55-year-old was on a night shift at a construction site in the Italian Alps when he collapsed at around 2am due to the bitter coldCredit: Newsflash Zantonini was working a 12-hour shift for a private security contractor in the Alpine resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo which is due to host the 2026 Winter OlympicsCredit: AP

Zantonini, originally from Brindisi, was working a 12-hour shift for a private security contractor in the Alpine resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo on Thursday night, according to local media.

Every two hours, Zantonini had to leave his heated cabin and conduct regular searches of the construction site which sat near to an ice arena, reports say.

Before heading out on his 2am surveillance walk, the Italian national had reportedly told colleagues he was feeling ill.

Zantonini is believed to have died a short time later as he went outside.

Initial investigations say he suffered a heart attack and collapsed in the snow.

Emergency services rushed to the site and performed CPR but Zantonini was pronounced dead at the scene.

Andrea Varnier, CEO of the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, told reporters: “The information we have is that it was a death by natural cause, it was a heart attack. And we are investigating.”

Italy’s Infrastructure Minister, Matteo Salvini, has called for a “full and rigorous investigation” into the death.

He emphasised that Italy must treat the safety of its workers as a top priority as construction efforts ramp up ahead of Olympics’ opening ceremony.

As Cortina city officials said they were “deeply saddened and troubled by the death”.

Cortina will co-host the alongside Milan in just four weeks time.

The town will host curling, sliding and women’s Alpine skiing between February 6, and February 22.

Construction woes are set to plague the Games after Olympic bosses admitted in November that there is “no Plan B” after fears were raised that a .

Construction on the 16,000-seat Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena is going down to the wire, organisers say.

Despite the fears of not having a “Plan B”, Francisi is confident that the venue will be constructed on time.

The opening hockey competition is set to begin with the women’s preliminary round as Sweden take on Germany on Thursday 5 February.

The men’s will start on 11 February and end on 22 February, the final day of the Olympics.

The Milan Cortina 2026 Games will mark the return of the NHL after a 12-year absence at the Olympics.

The town will host curling, sliding and women’s Alpine skiing between February 6, and February 22Credit: Alamy Cortina will co-host the 2026 Winter Olympics alongside Milan in just four weeks timeCredit: Getty