Brit, 26, is killed by lightning ‘while his girlfriend filmed him swimming in the sea’ in Rhodes
- The British man tragically died this afternoon in the Agia Agathi area of Rhodes
A British tourist has died after being struck by lightning while his girlfriend was reportedly filming him swimming in the sea in Greece.
The 26-year-old man tragically died this afternoon while at the beach in the Agia Agathi area of Rhodes.
Emergency services rushed the man to the shore and desperately tried to save his life but he did not survive.
A 47-year-old local football player Brazilian Wander Machado, who attempted to save the Brit, told Greek outlet Rodiaki: ‘As soon as I got close to him, I saw that he was face down in the water and his face was bruised.
‘I immediately knew that every second was crucial and started pulling him to the shore.’
The 26-year-old man tragically died this afternoon while holidaying in the Agia Agathi (pictured) area of Rhodes
It’s understood that other tourists had urged the man to leave the water when he encountered difficulties at around 1.30pm local time (11.30am BST).
His horrified girlfriend along with other beachgoers reportedly started calling for help after he got into trouble in the water.
He was pulled out of the water by those on the beach.
While Rodiaki reported that he had been paddleboarding, other news outlets claim he had been swimming at the time of the incident.
The witness who plays for Agios Georgios Malonas football team added: ‘I was worried that the same thing would happen to me as it was still raining but I didn’t stop.
‘The rescuers arrived shortly afterwards and performed all the resuscitation procedures to keep him alive. Unfortunately, I found out a little later that he didn’t make it.’
The man was taken to the Archangelos Health Centre, where emergency services frantically tried to resuscitate him but sadly he could not be saved.
An investigation by the Central Port Authority of Rhodes has been launched according to the local news outlet.
At the time of the tragic accident, the area off the Greek island was reportedly experiencing poor weather and severe thunderstorms.
An FCDO spokesperson said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Rhodes and are in contact with local authorities.’
