19-year-old falls from Venetian Walls in Heraklion, hospitalised in intensive care; police treat as suspected suicide attempt

Discovery at the walls

A 19-year-old male was found lying injured at the base of the Venetian Walls of Heraklion, near the statue of Eleftherios Venizelos, shortly after midnight on Thursday. A 52-year-old woman walking along Ikarou Street spotted the young man and alerted the authorities. An ambulance with a mobile medical unit and police officers arrived at the scene.

Medical condition

He was rushed to the Venizeleio Hospital where he remains in the intensive care unit. The hospital’s administrator, Konstantinos Dandoulakis, described him as a multiple-fracture patient.

“The 19-year-old has serious injuries to the chest, spleen, liver and pelvis.”

Medical staff are monitoring him closely. Despite the severity, he is reported to be hemodynamically stable, with a pneumothorax, ruptured spleen and liver, and multiple fractures.

Police inquiry

According to local media citing police sources, a person saw the young man climb onto the walls and "dive" into the void. The Hellenic Police are treating the case as a suspected suicide attempt, though they have not ruled out other possibilities. The exact circumstances remain under investigation.

Near-miss moments later

Approximately five minutes after the fall, a 13-year-old girl was prevented from climbing the Jesus Gate by her father, local outlet cretalive.gr reported. The second incident heightened alarm in the area.