Firefighter rappels from roof to rescue baby found alone with dead grandmother in Moglia apartment
A six-month-old baby cried for hours next to her dead grandmother in a Moglia apartment before neighbours raised the alarm on Sunday. Firefighters abseiled from the roof to reach the child.
In the early hours of Sunday, 28 June 2026, a 60-year-old woman died from natural causes in an apartment on Viale Coppini in Moglia, near Mantua. She was caring for her six- to seven-month-old granddaughter while the child's mother was at work in Modena. For about six hours, the baby remained next to the woman's body, crying intermittently.
Discovery
Around 11:00 on 28 June, neighbours grew concerned by the baby's persistent crying and the fact that no one answered the door or phone. One neighbour, who had a spare key, tried to unlock the door but found the keyhole blocked from the inside. Unable to gain entry, the residents called the fire brigade.
Rescue operation
Firefighters from the Suzzara detachment arrived shortly after. With the main door inaccessible, one firefighter was lowered by rope from the roof to a window protected only by a mosquito net. He entered the apartment, found the woman deceased, and brought the baby out to safety. The child was conscious and, according to paramedics, in good health despite the ordeal.
- Grandmother dies from natural causes while caring for the infant.
- Neighbours hear baby crying and call emergency services.
- Firefighter rescues the baby by rappelling from the roof.
Return to family
The baby was taken for a medical check and then reunited with her mother, who had been contacted by the police. The grandmother, a Dominican national not resident in Moglia, had been staying with the family since the previous day to care for the child while the mother was away.
Investigation
Initial assessments suggest the woman's death was due to natural causes, with the high temperature inside the apartment possibly contributing to a fatal collapse. Further tests will provide an exact cause.
