German Tourist Found Dead on Crete, Sixth Tourist Death in Recent Weeks

 A missing German man has been found dead on the Greek island of Crete, marking the latest in a string of tourist deaths amid Greece’s unprecedented heatwave.

Greek isles such as Mathraki lure tourists — but also have posed deadly risks during the country’s heatwave. REUTERS

The body of the unidentified 67-year-old man was discovered in a secluded area of Sentoni Beach after his wife reported him missing on Sunday. According to firefighters, the man had ventured on a solo hike in blistering temperatures without water. After a few hours, he called his wife to say he was unwell.

Authorities tracked his phone signal and located his remains in Trypiti Gorge using a drone, as reported by local news outlets. His death is the sixth in a series of fatalities involving tourists succumbing to extreme summer heat in Greece this month.

Tourist spots like the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, have proved brutal during recent 100-plus temps. AP

The Mediterranean region is enduring scorching temperatures, with many days reaching triple digits, marking Greece’s earliest summer heatwave on record. This troubling trend began with the death of Dr Michael Mosley, a British physician and TV star, who was found dead on June 9 after going missing on the island of Symi.

A similar fate befell a Dutch vacationer who, like the German man, succumbed to the heat while hiking on another Greek island. The body of a 74-year-old Dutch traveller was discovered in a ravine on the island of Samos after he was last seen struggling to hike on a day when temperatures exceeded 100 degrees.

Tourists have been known to explore hard-to-reach gorges in Crete. Iraklis Milas – stock.adobe.com

Typically a dream vacation destination, Greece is experiencing a hellish summer not only with these tragic deaths but also with a significant wildfire on the island of Hydra. One of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos’s favourite vacation spots, the blaze allegedly started after yachters launched fireworks to entertain guests.