New information is coming to light about the tragedy that occurred in the maritime area of Karpathos during the international sailing race Aegean 600 on Monday night with a 40-year-old woman, a crew member, losing her life.
The 40-year-old woman shortly after midnight, along with a teammate and under disturbing weather conditions, attempted to change some ballast on the bow of the boat. A huge wave, however, suddenly hit the two and threw them into the sea. Always according to the same reports, the unfortunate Frenchwoman fell near the boat in the bow on the starboard side and was reportedly hit by one of the two wheel blades in the head.
Her teammate was rescued immediately while the unfortunate Frenchwoman was spotted much later at sea with winds of 60mph and waves 2 metres high.
The photos show the damage to the 40-year-old’s boat:
According to reports, the 40-year-old French woman who died is named Anna Konontchouk and was a crew member on the vessel “Heaven”. The boat flew the Spanish flag, was 15 metres long and had a crew of nine people. The boat is now in the port of Casos with its captain being detained and questioned in order to clarify the exact circumstances of the accident.
Speaking earlier to protothema.gr, the president of the Panhellenic Open Water Sailing Club, Yannis Maragoudakis, said that “despite the huge effort we made to make a perfect event, with all participants declaring their excitement before the start of the race, this tragic development crushed us all. Our sincere condolences to the family of the 40-year-old sailor.”
The Aegean 600
The intense winds in the Carpathian Sea created challenges for the Aegean 600 fleet, which is undertaking a 600-nautical-mile nonstop circumnavigation of the Aegean Sea, leading to 14 boats dropping out of the race.
Unfortunately, the adverse weather conditions resulted in the death of a 40-year-old French national from the HEAVEN vessel, northwest of Kasos. The 40-year-old was found in the sea with a severe blow to the head and resuscitation efforts were not successful.
The entire sailing family and the organisers in private express their deep regret for the incident.
The statement of the Coast Guard
In the late hours of yesterday, the Port Authority of Kasos was informed of the fall into the sea of two crew members of a Spanish flagged sailing vessel (I/F), which was sailing northwest of the island. The crew members were rescued from the vessel, but a 40-year-old woman (French national) was recovered unconscious. A rescue boat of the L.S.-E.L.A.C.T. went to the area, where it located the boat and escorted it to the port of Kasos. The death of the 40-year-old foreigner was determined by a doctor of the P.P.I. Kasos, whose body is to be transferred to the Rhodes Forensic Service for an autopsy – autopsy. Preliminary investigation is carried out by the Port Authority of Kasos.
The investigation will be carried out by the Police Department of Kossos.
Also in the evening hours yesterday, the Port Authority of Karpathos was informed by the Integrated Search and Rescue Coordination Centre of the Coast Guard – EL.AKT. about the injury of a 61 year old man on board a sailing boat (I / F) flagged in Poland that participated in the race. The vessel sailed safely to the port of Pigadia Karpathos accompanied by the R/V “NISSOS SARIA” T. Diafanios 24. The 61 year old man disembarked and was transferred by ambulance vehicle of the ambulance to the General Hospital of Karpathos. Preliminary investigation is carried out by the Karpathos Port Authority.
