Man chokes to death on panettone in Christmas Eve tragedy

A joyful Christmas feast turned tragic when a man in Italy choked to death on a piece of panettone while celebrating with his family, authorities said Friday.

Giovanni Lopez, 47, was enjoying the holiday lunch at his parents’ home in the tiny northern town of Settimo Torinese on Dec. 24 when a piece of panettone — a traditional dessert filled with candied fruits and fresh orange — got lodged in his airway and he collapsed, NewsFlash Media reported.

Giovanni Lopez (right), seen with his brother, choked to death on a piece of Italian sweet bread on Dec. 24. Newsflash

Frantic relatives tried to dislodge the bite to no avail before calling an ambulance at around 2:30 p.m.

Paramedics rushed to the home but couldn’t revive him, the outlet reported. A medical examiner later confirmed his death.

Panettone is a traditional Italian sweet bread. fahrwasser – stock.adobe.com

“Giovanni, you will always be in our hearts,” his devastated brother, Domenico, wrote in a Facebook tribute.

“You were pure, generous and kind, perhaps too much so. You always thought of others and never of yourself,” he said.

“I hope the Lord will be kind to you and that you have gone on to a better life. I love you, my brother.”

The local outlet, Unione Sarda, reported Lopez choked to death on a piece of fruit, possibly from the dessert, “not panettone as initially reported.”