A coroner has reported that a tourist from Cheshire, England has drowned in turbulent sea conditions with no lifeguards on duty at an island beach in Greece.
Questions about a lifeguard shortage in Greece amidst incidents of tourists drowning at sea
A lady named Jacqueline Devonish has contacted the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) requesting that it speak to Greek authorities over the death of Andrew Story, 56, from Frodsham.
She claims the beach and sea in Rethymno, Crete were “particularly unsafe” for swimming throughout the tourist season, with no red flags in site, and she warned that action must be taken to prevent future deaths, according to the BBC.
Devonish is a senior coroner for Cheshire, and determined at an inquest in June that Story’s death at the destination on October 12th was an accident. She has now penned a report with the aim of preventing future deaths, noting the lack of lifeguard presence after August 31st in Rethymno.
She wrote:
“It was understood that the Greek coroner had informed bereaved family members that the sea was particularly rough in Rethymno, Crete and had no lifeguards on duty between August 31 and the end of the summer season.
This coincided with tourist season making the use of that beach and sea for swimming generally, and particularly unsafe in the absence of red warning markers, signs or flags.”
Story went for a swim in the ocean and was in the water for just a matter of minutes when a bystander was spotted trying to revive him on the shore, the inquest heard. A post-mortem examination in Greece concluded that the cause of death was drowning in sea water, with no mention of lifeguards.
In the UK, the second post-mortem analysis supported the conclusions of the first in Greece. However, it also noted an enlarged heart chamber. Story was taken by ambulance but confirmed dead shortly after. The Greek authorities have 56 days to respond to the prevention of future deaths report, as per the BBC.
In 2019, The Greek Coast Guard revealed 149 people died in the sea from January until July 24th. Furthermore, 98 people drowned over the same period in 2018. It seems that 2018 was the worst year in Greece’s history in terms of drowning incidents, however, as 294 people drowned while swimming in the sea.
Experts had said that if the trend of the first half of 2019 continued, it was highly likely that the record-high number of 2018 would be surpassed. Authorities in Greece warned people to be vigilant and follow simple rules to save their lives while in the sea.
People were advised not to swim if they had consumed alcohol, and parents were urged to be mindful of their children at beaches. In 2021, a 12-year-old Greek girl was lauded as a hero for performing first aid on an elderly swimmer who lost consciousness while in the sea.
