A beach chair dispute on the Greek Riviera ended in tragedy.
Greek officials are investigating the death of an octogenarian beachgoer following a heated argument over a beach chair on the Athenian riviera.
The authorities have determined the man, aged 82, had arrived at the popular beach spot of Vouliagmeni, near Athens, before 10 a.m. on Sunday to secure a group of sun loungers. Witnesses described the man as getting into a disagreement with a 76-year-old man whom he had not previously met. Witnesses reported a scuffle broke out between the two men after a heated argument. The younger man is alleged to have hit the victim, who collapsed during the fight. First responders to the scene attempted to revive him using CPR and a defibrillator.
Others joined the scuffle, according to the Greek national broadcaster. The deceased man is believed to have suffered a heart attack during the scuffle, and was transferred to Asklepieion Hospital in Voula, where he was later pronounced dead. The 76-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman in his party were ultimately arrested by the Greek authorities. No further details of either of the men’s nationalities or other identifying details were released.
Authorities said that those involved in the fatal scuffle will appear before a magistrate. Police are also interviewing witnesses who were on the beach at the time, but were not involved in the fight. One witness told a local newspaper that the incident created such chaos that the shouts and screams of those involved could be heard from the other end of the beach. Another witness said the older man had slapped the 21-year-old woman, which led to the situation spiraling out of control.
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Beach and pool chairs have become a flashpoint among both travelers and local residents wanting to enjoy leisurely days in European sun spots. The practice of attempting to reserve beach chairs for a large party has become controversial, and some reports indicate that was the cause of the scuffle at Vouliagmeni over the weekend.
Courts in Germany have even ordered a Greek resort to pay monetary compensation to a man who bought an all-inclusive tour package and was ultimately unable to secure a beach chair at his own resort after multiple attempts. In that case, the traveler pointed to a resort’s policy that the reserving of chairs was not permitted, but he said that hotel and tour operator staff did nothing to prevent other guests from reserving the chairs after multiple complaints. He ultimately was able to find a chair for just one day of a two-week stay. German courts ruled that the man was due compensation because the tour operator had sold him a “defective” tour product and did not perform due diligence in ensuring the defects were corrected after he complained.
Some say the tradition of getting up early to reserve a pool chair is time-honored on European vacations; detractors from the practice say that vacations are impacted when pool-goers stake out claims to pool chairs they don’t intend to use immediately.
Illegal sun loungers have also become a problem in Greece, and some beach-goers are fighting back on unregistered beach chairs that exceed government limits. Greek law requires that 70% of every beach must remain unobstructed by lounge chairs to allow users to bring their own towels or other equipment to sit on the beach without paying a fee to a third party. The “towel movement” is a spontaneous citizens’ initiative, started on the Greek island of Paros, to defend free access to public beaches throughout the country.
The 76-year-old man has reportedly been charged with causing fatal bodily harm and had been expected to appear in local courts on Monday.