Man, 82, dies after sun lounger fight in Greece
An 82-year-old man died after a fight which reportedly started following a confrontation over a sun lounger.
The altercation reportedly started between the 82-year-old and a 76-year-old man at Vouliagmeni Beach, which is located south of Athens in Greece.
Police have said that a preliminary investigation suggested that the a confrontation between the two men shortly before 10am escalated into a physical altercation.
Precise facts around the tragedy have not yet been fully established, and local media has reported that police have now opened an investigation.
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It has also been reported that a 21-year-old woman who had been accompanying the 76-year-old man also became caught up in the fight.
Following the incident the 82-year-old was taken to hospital in an ambulance, where he sadly died around an hour later.
Police have also detained the 76-year-old man and the 21-year-old woman for questioning in relation to the incident as authorities try to piece together exactly how the tragic incident unfolded. It is understood that the 76-year-old man was arrested.
The owner of the beach business where the confrontation unfolded has also been brought in for questioning by police in the wake of the tragedy.
An investigation is now working to establish how the altercation started, as well as how it escalated into a physical confrontation and the precise circumstances surrounding the tragic death of the man.
While it is not yet clear precisely what happened during the scuffle, it is believed that the victim suffered from a cardiac arrest during the confrontation.
ERT, Greece's state broadcaster, said: “It seems that people who were with [the assailant] also participated."
It added: “The 82-year-old was seriously injured, and needed to be transferred by ambulance to Asklepieion hospital in Voula.
“Despite the efforts of doctors, at about 11am the elderly man succumbed to his wounds.”
A postmortem examination has also been ordered to ascertain a cause of death.
“The incident is under investigation,” a source said in The Guardian. “In Greece disagreement is expressed vocally, with a lot of screaming and shouting, not in fistfights like this – especially between two elderly men. I think that’s why it is so shocking.”
Authorities have also said that 'all those' who were involved in the incident must appear before a magistrate in connection with the case.
Sun loungers can be a point of serious contention for holidaymakers who travel to sunny locales for a week or two away.
Videos have previously been shared on social media of people stampeding out to hotel pools in the early hours of the morning to claim the choicest spots by the pool.
Others have also expressed their disapproval of people who they accuse of using dirty tricks to sneak out and claim a lounger before anyone else has the chance to.
Meanwhile, the growing prevalence of tourism, including holiday lets, continues to cause anger and frustration in many communities in Greece as private rentals take up space on the coastline, with the sea forming an important part of Greece's culture and identity.
Topics: World News, UK News, Crime
Kit Roberts