Elderly Man Dies After Beach Chair Dispute in Greece

A dispute over lounge chairs on a beach in Vouliagmeni, Greece, escalated violently, leading to the death of an 82-year-old man and criminal charges against a 76-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman.

The incident occurred on September 20 when the 82-year-old man and the 76-year-old man began arguing over chairs on the beach, located south of Athens. Witnesses told the BBC that the conflict began when the older man attempted to reserve a chair for his arriving group.

During the altercation, the 82-year-old man went into cardiac arrest and collapsed. He was transported to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after. Authorities have ordered a postmortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

The 76-year-old man was taken into custody and charged with causing fatal bodily harm. The 21-year-old woman, who was accompanying him, was arrested on charges of verbal abuse and aiding and abetting fatal bodily harm. She sustained a facial injury during the confrontation but was later released from custody.

According to reports, the dispute centered on a group of six sunbeds. The 76-year-old and his companion had claimed two of these chairs, but the 82-year-old insisted the entire area was reserved for his party.

Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with one stating they saw multiple people assaulting the elderly man before he collapsed. Bystanders, including a nurse present on the beach, attempted to administer CPR and use a defibrillator, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

The beach resort's manager was also detained for questioning by police regarding the incident. The 76-year-old man and the 21-year-old woman are scheduled to appear before a judge.

The incident occurred amid broader tensions in Greece regarding public access to beaches, with authorities having recently intensified efforts to curb private businesses from illegally occupying public coastlines with excessive sunbed setups.