A tourist from the UK succumbed to the harsh heatwave while swimming at Achladies beach on Skiathos island, adding to the number of such casualties in Greece this summer.
The death of the British woman, 66, marks yet another victim of the enduring heatwave that has hit Greece this July following the hottest June since 2010.
Even though she was in the water, the woman fainted from the heat while swimming and drowned. A lifeguard pulled her out of the water, and a doctor who happened to be on the beach tried to resuscitate the woman.
She was transferred to the island’s medical center, where she passed away, and then taken to the seaside city of Volos for an autopsy, according to local media.
Greece is currently experiencing a prolonged heatwave with temperatures hardly dropping below 37 degrees Celsius (99.8 Fahrenheit) during the day.
Greece’s Ministry for Civil Protection and Climate Change highlighted the dangers by stating that temperatures surpass 40 degrees Celsius in certain parts during the ongoing heatwaves.
Civil Protection advises residents and visitors avoid being out in the sun between noon and 5:00 pm and remain hydrated throughout the day. Two weeks ago, the Athens Acropolis, one of the world’s most visited archaeological site, remained closed during these hours for the span of a few days.
Six visitors succumbed to the heatwave in June
Before the 66-year-old British woman on Skiathos, six tourists lost their lives due to the heat in June and July on the islands of Crete, Symi, Spetses, Kefalonia, and Kalymnos.
In early June, well-known British television presenter Michael Mosley was found dead after missing for days on Symi island. His body was found by rescue workers in a rocky area of Agia Marina north of the town of Pedi, where he was last seen in a CCTV video.
Mosley’s body was spotted by Eleftherios Papakaloudoukas, the mayor of Symi, and a group of journalists who were combing the area of Agia Marina on a boat.
The British presenter appears to have taken a dangerous path through the rocky mountain terrain on his way down to the beach of Agia Marina. He likely either got dizzy or passed out due to the heatwave. He might have possibly slipped and fallen near the fence, resulting in his death.
During the heatwave, Greece has been ravaged by wildfires that have destroyed thousands of forest acres and burned numerous homes across Greece. The fires added to the sweltering heat, and many Greeks agree this has been the hottest summer in recent memory.