The wife of an 82-year-old man who died following a dispute over sun loungers on a Greek beach has stated that the beach was largely empty at the time of the incident. The man died from cardiac arrest on Sunday after a fight erupted when he reportedly refused to relinquish six sun loungers to a man and his companion.
According to Greek newspaper ProtoThema, the woman said, "My husband died because of a stupid thing on an empty beach." She explained that the couple approached their loungers and demanded them, despite the apparent availability of empty sunbeds. When they refused, she stated, "the gentleman, who is being held, attacked my husband, punched him in the nose and in the heart. He fell to the ground."
A 76-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and is scheduled to appear before a prosecutor. His 21-year-old female companion, who is understood to have a disability, was arrested for complicity in causing fatal bodily harm, as well as threats and insults.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after 9 a.m. The couple had returned from swimming to find sunbeds, and after purchasing their tickets, they selected two loungers. The 82-year-old, who was with his wife, indicated that his group had occupied six sunbeds at that spot, implying the loungers were not freely available. A fight then ensued.
Eyewitnesses described chaos and screams during the altercation. A doctor and lifeguards attempted to revive the pensioner at the beach clinic using a defibrillator and CPR before an ambulance arrived. He was transported to Asklepieion Hospital in Voula, where he was pronounced dead approximately one hour later.
Accounts of who initiated the physical confrontation vary. An acquaintance of the 76-year-old suspect told ProtoThema that the elderly man had asserted his authority by saying, "Do you know who I am? I'm from the navy." This acquaintance claimed that the 76-year-old and the 21-year-old woman sustained injuries.
Conversely, the 76-year-old man told Greece's MEGA TV that the 82-year-old had directed an insult at the young woman, telling her, "Put them down, you fing bh." He alleged that the pensioner then punched the woman multiple times before an exchange of insults. The 76-year-old claimed the 82-year-old then turned and struck him, at which point he responded by saying, "You’re hitting women, you lowlife."
Witnesses also told the Ta Nea daily newspaper that the 21-year-old woman had a bloodied and swollen face. Authorities are investigating the circumstances leading to the altercation and the pensioner's death.
Disputes over sun loungers have been a recurring issue at tourist destinations. In recent years, reports have emerged of tourists employing extreme measures to secure prime spots, including sleeping overnight on loungers and forming long queues well before opening hours. One notable incident involved over 100 tourists waiting in line for an hour to claim poolside sunbeds at a hotel in Tenerife.