Zakynthos: 34-year-old bather dies at Laganas

A 34-year-old British national who was swimming in the sea area near Marathonisi, at Laganas on Zakynthos, has been found dead. According to an announcement by the Coast Guard, reported by the news outlet in.gr, on the afternoon of Tuesday 18 August the Zakynthos Port Authority was informed that the 34-year-old was in difficulty in the sea. Bathers who were at the spot realised he was in trouble, helped bring him to the shore and gave him first aid with cardiopulmonary resuscitation, until help arrived.

The 34-year-old was picked up by a patrol vessel of the Hellenic Coast Guard that was in the area on a scheduled patrol and was taken to the small harbour of Agios Sostis. From there he was transferred to the General Hospital of Zakynthos, where doctors pronounced him dead. The Zakynthos Port Authority is conducting a preliminary investigation to establish the exact circumstances of the incident, while the cause of death will be determined by the forensic examination. In incidents of this type it is as a rule examined whether a sudden cardiac event preceded, a factor that changes how the incident is classified. The preliminary investigation includes taking statements from the bathers who helped and from the crew of the patrol vessel.

Laganas is the busiest tourist resort on Zakynthos and its bay forms part of the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, a protection area for the loggerhead sea turtle. Special restrictions on vessels and activities apply in this zone, while Marathonisi, also known as «turtle island», is a popular destination for day trips. The large concentration of bathers combined with the long distances from the shore make the presence of lifeguards and the rapid response of the port authorities critical safety factors. Zakynthos receives hundreds of thousands of visitors every summer, with the British market one of the largest for the island.

Drownings are among the most frequent causes of death among visitors to Greece during the summer months, with incidents concentrated at peak hours and on beaches without adequate lifeguard cover. The authorities advise avoiding swimming after a meal or after consuming alcohol, avoiding remote spots without company and paying attention to sea currents. Similar incidents have been recorded recently, such as in the Thermaic Gulf where EKAB revived two bathers. It has not been announced whether there was a lifeguard on duty at the beach at the time of the incident. The law provides for compulsory lifeguard cover on busy beaches during the swimming season, under the responsibility of the municipalities. The British consular authority is as a rule informed in such incidents in order to assist the family. The preliminary investigation by the Zakynthos Port Authority is under way and it has not been announced when its findings are expected.