At least 10 foreign tourists have gone missing or been found dead this year in Greece after going for a hike, often in scorching temperatures. Greek authorities say the body of a missing German man has been recovered near a gorge on the island of Crete, the latest in a series of fatal incidents involving tourists undertaking demanding hikes in the scorching heat. At least 10 tourists have gone missing or been found dead this year in similar circumstances, according to Greek authorities.
The country has experienced back-to-back heat waves earlier than usual this year, with temperatures exceeding 38 degrees Celsius in many areas for several days in a row. The 67-year-old man’s body was found in “rugged and inaccessible terrain” near the Tripiti Gorge in southwestern Crete, the fire service said in a statement on Monday (Tuesday NZT). It was first spotted by a drone on Sunday evening.
Early on Monday, the fire service sent a helicopter, although it took responders several hours to reach the body. The man’s name and cause of death have not been released. According to Constantina Dimoglidou, a police spokesperson, the man had contacted his wife early on Sunday afternoon, saying he had run out of water and felt ill.
He did not know his location, but authorities traced his cellphone signal. The Tripiti Gorge is a demanding trek generally undertaken by experienced hikers, Dimoglidou said. Monday’s discovery was the most recent in a string of tourist deaths in the past month.
