ATHENS – A dispute between beachgoers at Vouliagmeni Beach on the morning of September 20 ended in tragedy when an 82-year-old man suffered cardiac arrest during an altercation and subsequently passed away at the Asklepieion Hospital in Voula.
The incident occurred shortly after 9 AM, when the 82-year-old arrived at the beach with his wife and sat on a sunbed. Shortly thereafter, a 76-year-old man arrived at the same spot, accompanied by a 21-year-old woman who held a ticket for persons with disabilities.
According to preliminary information, the tension arose over the use of a sunbed. During the initial incident, the 21-year-old woman felt unwell and was taken to the beach’s medical station for first aid.
However, a short time later, the 76-year-old returned to the spot, and the dispute reignited. The two men reportedly came to blows, and amidst the altercation, the 82-year-old collapsed after suffering cardiac arrest.
Staff and rescue personnel rushed to the scene and transported the elderly man to the beach’s medical station, where repeated attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were made and a defibrillator was used. Despite efforts to revive him, the 82-year-old did not respond.
He was subsequently picked up by an ambulance and transported to Asklipieio Hospital in Voula, where he was pronounced dead approximately an hour later.
The 76-year-old man and the 21-year-old woman accompanying him were arrested in connection with the incident and are being held at the Voula Police Station, while authorities investigate the exact circumstances surrounding the altercation.
Conflicting accounts
A friend of the 76-year-old, who was at the beach when the incident occurred, claimed that the tension began while he was purchasing a ticket and his friend was heading toward the sunbeds.
He stated that the 82-year-old allegedly asked the 76-year-old, “Do you know who I am? I’m in the Navy,” and maintained that both his friend and the 21-year-old woman sustained injuries. According to his version of events, the 76-year-old told him that he had not struck the elderly man but had, in fact, been the one attacked.
A different account was provided by another beachgoer, who reported hearing loud shouting and seeing people scuffling, with beach staff being the first to rush over and break up the fight. He described scenes of high tension and noted that frantic efforts were made to resuscitate the 82-year-old. According to his account, the elderly man had reportedly mentioned having undergone triple bypass surgery in the past.
A preliminary investigation is underway and it remains to be determined whether the 82-year-old’s death is directly linked to the altercation or to a pre-existing health condition.
