Brit tourist, 26, dies after being struck by lightning while paddleboarding as girlfriend filmed from beach in Rhodes
A 26-year-old British tourist died after he was struck by lightning while paddleboarding on a beach in Rhodes.
The tragedy happened this afternoon when the Brit was paddleboarding in the Agia Agathi area while his girlfriend was filming him from the beach.
The Brit was urged by other tourists at the beach to get out of the water as there was a storm but he remained on his paddleboard, local paper Rodiaki reports.
It was shortly after 1.30pm local time (11.30am BST) when the lighting struck a few feet away from where the Brit was, knocking him out.
His horrified girlfriend started calling for help and with the help of other beachgoers, he was pulled out of the water.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and the 26-year-old man was taken to the shore, where rescuers frantically tried to save his life.
A football player Brazilian Wander Machado, 47, was the one who rushed to the water to help the young Brit.
He told the outlet: “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.
“I was worried that the same thing would happen to me as it was still raining but I didn’t stop.”
Wander who performed first aid as soon as they got out of the water added: “The man was still alive, I could hear his heart and he had a pulse.
“The EKAV 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 26-year-old was taken to the Archangelos Health Center, where medics desperately tried to resuscitate him but to no avail.
An investigation by the Central Port Authority of Rhodes has been launched.