Indian hotel worker, 22, found dead after swimming off Tersanas beach in Chania

Went missing on Monday afternoon

A 22-year-old man of Indian origin, who worked at a hotel in the area, went to swim at Tersanas beach in Akrotiri, Chania, on the afternoon of Monday, 12 October. According to one report, he had gone with a friend, and the two jumped into the sea from the pier, after which he did not come back to the surface. Other reports cite a colleague who told the port authorities that he had entered the sea from a small harbour. Contact with him was lost that afternoon, and the port authorities raised the alarm.

Search through the night

The search was coordinated by the search and rescue coordination centre (EKSED). Two Coast Guard patrol boats, private vessels, a private diver and a Coast Guard vehicle with officers searching from land took part. Rescuers swept the water with torches and boat floodlights. Western winds of 5 to 6 Beaufort made the work harder, and the search continued into the night.

Body found in the morning

On the morning of Tuesday, 13 October, a private diver taking part in the search found the man in the sea in the wider area of Tersanas, unconscious. A fishing boat then picked him up and handed him over to an ambulance of the National Emergency Care System (EKAB). Reports say his death was confirmed after he was taken aboard the fishing boat.

Cause of death to be determined

The exact cause of death is expected to be established by a post-mortem examination. No further details about the circumstances have been published in the reports reviewed.