Modena Bus Emergency Draws Sassuolo Forward into Rescue
Sassuolo forward Domenico Berardi and his wife, Francesca Fantuzzi, stepped in to assist a high school student who suffered an epileptic seizure aboard a public bus in Modena on Wednesday afternoon, according to reports from Il Resto del Carlino and the Gazzetta di Modena. Fantuzzi, who holds a certified defibrillator operator license (DAE), directed the initial response alongside the Italian footballer while passengers waited for emergency medical services to arrive on viale Amendola.
Lunchtime Interruption Outside a Modena Restaurant
The incident began shortly before 13:00 local time on Wednesday as the couple was dining at a local restaurant opposite a bus stop, accompanied by friends and their padel club instructor, Tommaso D’Anversa. Spotting the sudden evacuation of the Seta public transport vehicle and noticing the distressed driver, Fantuzzi and Berardi immediately investigated the commotion. Francesca Fantuzzi, 31 years old, is also a padel instructor currently occupied with the renovation of her club, the B Rackets Club Modena, which is scheduled to open in just over a month. Initially joking that a ticket inspector had boarded and someone lacked a ticket, they quickly realized the situation was much more serious as the teenager had experienced the medical emergency upon leaving school. Witnesses noted that the group saw passengers exiting suddenly and the driver moving back and forth, prompting Fantuzzi to approach and investigate.
First Aid Application and Emergency Response
Utilizing her formal first-aid training, Fantuzzi moved to protect the teenager’s head while Berardi helped lift the student—who had collapsed onto a classmate—into a safe recovery position on his side and removed his backpack. Corriere della Sera confirmed that the bus driver, Andrea Matrone, had already initiated standard safety procedures by halting the vehicle and alerting authorities. Emergency medical personnel arrived within minutes via a 118 dispatch unit to transport the student to a local hospital. Fantuzzi recounted that after initial uncertainty, they activated immediately, noting that the student opened his eyes before they reassured him enough to let him rest. They subsequently used their instructor to establish telephone contact and verify that he was recovering well. Fantuzzi also stressed the importance of basic maneuvers such as checking breathing and avoiding placing hands inside the mouth, noting that many bystanders were paralyzed with shock during the event.
Eyewitness Accounts and Prior Community Actions
Matteo Bassi, the owner of the nearby restaurant where the couple was dining, praised their swift intervention in comments published by Il Resto del Carlino: Berardi and the wife did not hesitate for a second, and that is what made the situation resolve for the best.
Bassi added that the couple frequently visits his establishment and stated that he would congratulate them on their promptness and civic sense the next time he sees them.
The episode marks the second time in recent months that the Sassuolo captain has drawn public attention for assisting citizens in distress, following an incident last summer in Forte dei Marmi where Berardi aided a young worker who had fallen from a bicycle along a cycling path.
Reflections on Basic Life Support Training
Reflecting on the event, Fantuzzi emphasized the critical importance of basic life support education over notions of heroism, pointing out that many bystanders froze during the crisis. Rejecting the label of heroes, she stated, Heroes are others. We were two prepared people.
She further noted that figures like Edoardo Bove advocate heavily for these skills and mentioned legislation carrying his name that mandates first-aid training in schools. Through their instructor, the couple later contacted the student’s peers to confirm that he was recovering and resting properly following the hospital visit. Berardi is expected to return to standard sporting commitments with Sassuolo following the international break.
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