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An American who was reported missing on a Greek island was found dead on a beach on Sunday, authorities said, becoming the third tourist to die as a “historic” heatwave hits the Mediterranean.
The 55-year-old tourist, whose identity has yet to be released, went missing on the small islet of Matraki on June 11, when temperatures soared to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
“There is a common pattern: they had all gone hiking in high temperatures,” South Aegean police spokesman Petros Vasilakis told Reuters.
Two French women, aged 64 and 73, have been missing from Sikinos since Friday, and former Los Angeles County deputy sheriff Albert Carivet has not been seen on Amorgos since Tuesday.
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Temperatures are expected to remain hot but cooler than last week’s unusually high temperatures.
Temperatures are expected to reach the mid to upper 30s Celsius this week in many parts of Greece as the search continues for tourists who went missing while walking.
Temperatures in Rhodes are expected to reach 36C this week, according to the Met Office.
In Crete, temperatures are expected to reach maximums of 30 and 31 degrees on Monday and Tuesday, down from a maximum of 44 degrees on Thursday, before cooling off towards the end of the week.
Temperatures are expected to soar to nearly 30 degrees Celsius over the next few days on Santorini, close to Sikinos, where authorities are searching for two French women who have been missing since Friday.
Chris StevensonJune 17, 2024 11:13
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American tourists last seen on isolated Matraki island
Investigators told ABC News that the 55-year-old American was last seen on Tuesday at a tavern in Matraki, west of Corfu, where he was staying with friends.
Investigators said the friend called police after returning home Thursday to find the door to the house open, the lights on and the air conditioner running, but there was no sign of the missing Americans or their identification or travel documents.
As Matraki has no police station or coastguard, law enforcement officers from Corfu were called in to assist with the investigation.
Matlaki’s president said a coroner was due to travel to the island on Sunday to carry out a preliminary investigation.
Authorities said the body would be taken to the nearby island of Corfu, where an autopsy would be carried out.
Bernie DavisJune 17, 2024 19:30
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55-year-old American found dead on remote Matraki island
It can only be reached by boat from Agios Stefanos and is very quiet, even in high season.
There are no buses and very few cars on the island, and the most common forms of transport used by locals are boats and motorbikes.
Visitors were invited to explore the island on foot.
There are no campsites on the island, just a few campsites around the harbour.
The only village on Matraki is Chorio, located on the south side of the island.
Matraki has a two kilometre stretch of sandy beach, intermittently shaded by rocks, stretching across the eastern side of the island.
On the west side, a walk passes by the church of Kato Matraki and leads to various beaches.
Tourists have been going missing recently in Greek islands (Philippos Parginos/Wikimedia Commons)
Bernie DavisJune 17, 2024 18:20
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Pictures show the search for 74-year-old Dutch tourist found dead in a ravine on the island of Samos
(Greek Rescue Team, Samos)
Samos (Greece)
Greek rescue team from Samos heads to the scene of the disaster (Greek rescue team from Samos)
Bernie DavisJune 17, 2024 17:20
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Tourists often unaware of risks, search captain says
A 74-year-old Dutch tourist went missing on the island of Samos while hiking on Sunday. Rescue services on the eastern Aegean tourist island said he went missing near Marathokampos.
Their bodies were later found in a ravine by a firefighting drone.
Dimitris Katazis, head of the Samos rescue service, said tourists were unaware of the danger they faced by walking in the heat. They often “go off the path” to see tourist sites and then get lost, he told local media, adding: “We saw several tourists.” [of foreigners] “Walking down trail 41C without a hat. It defies logic.”
Andy GregoryJune 17, 2024 16:19
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Greek PM considers limiting cruise ship numbers
In addition to record temperatures, Greece is expecting record tourist numbers this year.
Like other popular European resort destinations, Greece is struggling with overtourism: Santorini, a tiny Aegean island with a population of 15,550, receives more than 5.5 million tourists each year, double the number in 2012, according to the ombudsman’s report.
“Even tourists in Santorini complain about the number of tourists,” he added.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview with Bloomberg on Friday that the government is also considering capping the number of cruise ships visiting the islands, the most popular tourist destinations.
Andy GregoryJune 17, 2024 16:02
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Extreme heat in Athens leaves passengers stuck on plane for three hours on unair-conditioned runway
Technical issues at Athens airport forced passengers on a Doha-bound Qatar Airways flight to wait for hours on board last week, with passengers reportedly fainting because the air conditioning didn’t work.
About 49 members of the Thai Muay Thai team returning from the World Championships were on board Qatar Airways flight 204 to Doha on Monday, route 39C, when the flight was delayed at Athens airport.
Passengers complained that the captain refused to let them off the plane despite a malfunctioning air conditioning system, and they were kept on board for three hours with the doors closed at the airport, Thai newspaper Matichon reported.
The extreme temperatures on board the plane caused passengers to suffer nosebleeds, with some having to rely on oxygen masks.
Rich Booth and Alisha Rahman Sarkar June 17, 2024 15:31
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Greece’s infrastructure suffers from extreme temperatures
The extreme heat not only forced the closure of tourist sites last week but also the closure of schools across the country just days before the start of the three-month summer holidays.
Greek schoolchildren have three months of summer vacation: as temperatures rise, the holidays begin in mid-June and the next school term resumes in mid-September.
While schools were closed for classes, other students had to take Panhellenic exams, the equivalent of A-levels, in sweltering heat, many in unair-conditioned rooms, and parents in Athens and Thessaloniki were asked to bring electric fans when they sent their children off for the exams.
Workers in Athens were told to avoid any activity between noon and 5 p.m., and older people and those with chronic illnesses were told to stay indoors.
Andy GregoryJune 17, 2024 15:09
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Worst heatwave in decades hits more than 100 million Americans
Greece is not the only country suffering from an unprecedented heatwave.
The heatwave that hit Greece is the earliest on record, but large swaths of the US could experience its longest heatwave in decades, according to the National Weather Service.
Much of the Midwest, Great Lakes region, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will experience their hottest temperatures so far this summer, with some areas breaking daily and monthly records, according to the weather service.
Andy GregoryJune 17, 2024 14:55
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Greek civil defence warns of high fire risk in Attica and Evia
Greece’s civil defence authorities have warned of a very high risk of fire in the Attica region, which includes Athens, and on the island of Evia, where devastating fires broke out during last year’s heatwave.
Aerial surveillance patrols will be in place on Tuesday and local fire departments will be on partial alert.
Vehicles will be banned from entering the forested area, among other measures, broadcaster ANT1 reported.
Andy GregoryJune 17, 2024 14:30
