An 82-year-old man has died after a dispute over a sunbed at a beach near Athens escalated into a physical confrontation, with Greek police now confirming a second arrest as investigators work to establish exactly what happened.
The incident took place shortly before 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 20, at Akti Vouliagmenis beach in Vouliagmeni, on the southern Athens coastline. A 76-year-old man was initially arrested in connection with the confrontation, while police said on Monday that a 21-year-old woman who had been accompanying him was also taken into custody. Kathimerini reported that she faces allegations including aiding and abetting fatal bodily harm, threats and verbal abuse.
What happened at Vouliagmeni beach?
According to Greek authorities, the dispute began over the use of a sunbed and quickly became heated. The 82-year-old, the 76-year-old and the younger woman were involved in the confrontation before the older man collapsed. Police are continuing to investigate the actions of each person involved.
During the altercation, the 82-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest. A nurse at the beach attempted to revive him using CPR and a defibrillator before emergency crews arrived. He was transported to Asklepieio Voula hospital, where he later died. Euronews reported that emergency treatment began at the beach immediately after his collapse.
A staff member connected with the company operating the beach’s sunbeds was also reportedly questioned as part of the investigation.
Witness gives account of moments before collapse
A witness who spoke to Greek public broadcaster ERT News said he heard shouting shortly before 10 a.m. and went towards the disturbance.
âWe immediately ran to see what was happening and we saw a fight, a young woman, one man and another man arguing,â eyewitness Giorgos Christopoulos told ERT News.
Christopoulos said the disagreement appeared to concern a sunbed and a chair. According to his account, the 82-year-old claimed that he had reserved the places earlier.
The witness also alleged that the older man had slapped the 21-year-old woman before the 76-year-old intervened. That remains a witness account rather than an established finding, and investigators have not yet publicly set out a definitive sequence of events.
Christopoulos said that when the 82-year-old subsequently fell to the ground, beach employees, a nurse, a doctor and a lifeguard rushed to help him. Emergency medical personnel later continued resuscitation attempts before he was taken to hospital.
âFor a chair, when there were hundreds of sunbeds there, it is impossible to understand,â the witness told ERT News while describing the aftermath.
The 76-year-old has been arrested on an allegation of causing fatal bodily harm. The 21-year-old woman is accused of complicity in fatal bodily harm as well as threats and verbal abuse, according to the latest Greek reporting. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Authorities are still examining the exact circumstances surrounding the man’s death, including the medical relationship between the confrontation and his subsequent cardiac arrest.
The case has attracted international attention because what appears to have begun as a routine dispute over beach seating ended with a death and two arrests. It also comes amid wider tensions in Greece over access to crowded beaches and the use of commercial sunbeds during the tourist season.
Note: This is a developing story. Details may change as Greek police, prosecutors and medical authorities release further information.
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