An 82-year-old man died following a confrontation over sunbeds on a beach in Vouliagmeni, Greece, on Sunday. Reports indicate that the man suffered a cardiac arrest after a physical altercation with a 76-year-old man, who has since been arrested for causing fatal bodily harm and is scheduled to appear in court. The 76-year-old's 21-year-old female companion, who is disabled, was also arrested for complicity in the incident, which involved threats and verbal abuse.
The conflict began shortly after 9 a.m. when the 76-year-old and his companion returned to the beach after swimming and attempted to claim two sunbeds. The 82-year-old, who was with his wife, reportedly informed them that the area was occupied by his group, which had six loungers. Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene, with one stating that the commotion could be heard from the other end of the beach.
Witness accounts vary regarding the initiation of the fight. An acquaintance of the 76-year-old claimed that the 82-year-old made aggressive remarks, while another witness recounted seeing the two men exchanging insults before the physical confrontation escalated. During the altercation, the 82-year-old suffered a heart attack and was taken to a beach clinic, where CPR was administered multiple times before he was transported to Asklepieion Hospital in Voula, where he was pronounced dead.
The wife of the deceased expressed her grief, stating, 'My husband died over something stupid on an empty beach.' She described how the couple attempted to point out available sunbeds but were met with aggression from the 76-year-old.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions among tourists over sunbed reservations, a trend that has been noted across various European destinations. Reports from previous years have documented similar disputes, including instances of tourists reserving loungers overnight and long queues forming for sunbed access at hotels.