A family from Veria is living through its own tragedy after witnessing the loss of one of its members. 19-year-old Yiannis was on vacation with his mother and two siblings in Pefkochori, Halkidiki, when a visit to the local amusement park turned fatal. The ride operator, before starting the ride that Yiannis and his 16-year-old brother had chosen, said, “I’ll push it to the limit.” Tragically, the safety restraint broke, and Yiannis was thrown from the ride, dying instantly.
Today, in Veria, family and friends will say their final goodbyes to the 19-year-old who lost his life at midnight on Monday, August 19th. The funeral will take place at the Church of the Ascension in Papagos, Veria, at 11:00 AM, with the burial following at the Diavatos Cemetery. The family has requested that instead of wreaths, attendees make a donation to the local parish in his memory. A relative of the 19-year-old posted, “The family wishes that, instead of wreaths, donations be made to the parish of one’s choice in memory of our beloved.”
Rusty Amusement Park Rides
According to a video from Open, the metal supports for the seats on the ride were rotten and rusted. Of the four sets of seats on the ride, which caused death and panic, only one was reportedly functional.
Amusement Park Operators Temporarily Released but Face Felony Charges
The two arrested in connection with the death of the 19-year-old at the amusement park in Pefkochori, Halkidiki, were released after their testimony to the prosecutor. The suspects include the 21-year-old ride operator and the 58-year-old owner of the business. The prosecutor has ordered a preliminary investigation to complete the case file and proceed with criminal charges.
The death of the 19-year-old from Veria was instantaneous, according to the coroner’s report.
Family Vows to Pursue Justice
Meanwhile, the 19-year-old’s family, through their lawyer, has vowed to pursue the case to the fullest extent of the law to ensure justice is served. “This is a tragic event that not only tarnishes the owners and responsible parties of the business but also implicates local authorities. What we must do, both in memory of the child and to support the family’s case, is to exhaust all legal measures necessary to ensure justice is done. And we will go all the way,” said the family’s lawyer, Nikolaos Petridis.
“In addition to the obvious responsibilities of the business, which, according to the prosecution’s position, are of a felony nature and essentially constitute intentional homicide with potential malice, we will seek accountability from municipal officials. Their negligence, both in managing the issue before the incident and in their current handling, shows a lack of responsibility and seriousness in dealing with such matters, leading to this tragic incident,” the lawyer added.
“Clearly, I am referring to the municipal administration of the Municipality of Kassandra and possibly others. If any further responsibilities, actions, or omissions arise from third parties, we will address them. The family has instructed us to go all the way and hold accountable anyone responsible, to whatever extent necessary.”
Mr. Petridis emphasized that the responsibilities are very serious and elevate the charges to a felony level.
Mayor of Cassandra: The operators of the business never disclosed their operation
The operators of the site did not announce the opening of the new facility.
At the same time, the mayor of Kassandra, Anastasia Halkia, issued a statement in which she expressed her condolences to the family and stressed among other things that the managers of the business never disclosed their operation, as required by law, nor did they submit a relevant file.
Specifically, he stresses:
“For the tragic event that occurred at the amusement park in Pefkohori Halkidiki and cost the life of nineteen-year-old Yannis, we express both I as Mayor and the City Council our deep sorrow and our sincere condolences to his family and relatives. I know that no statement can fill the unfulfilled void left by the sudden and tragic loss of a young child. Today is a day of mourning and grief for all of us.
In regard to the tragic event that occurred at the amusement park in Pefkohori, Halkidiki, within the territorial jurisdiction of our Municipality, it is noted that the operation of this business was seasonal and took place in a leased private space. The managers of the business never notified their operation, as required by law, nor did they submit a relevant file, a fact that was confirmed by the competent control bodies of the Kassandra Police Station around mid-July.
The Independent Department of Control of Public Spaces and Shop Licenses of the Municipality, within the legal deadlines, initiated the administrative sanctions related to the procedure of imposing a fine and the managers of the business were invited in writing to present their views, as required by law. After that, as the Mayor, I proceeded to the immediate sealing of the said business, in accordance with the document of the Kassandra Police Station No. 1020/10469/10 of 20-8-2024.
With the given recognition of the existing bureaucracy for taking immediate and drastic measures, combined with the absence of Municipal Police and the cumbersome administrative procedure that the existing legislative and regulatory framework creates, the Municipality of Kassandra confirms that, within its capabilities and responsibilities, it has taken and will take all necessary measures for the prevention and suppression of similar offences.
Finally, we affirm that we are at the disposal of any authority to provide the necessary explanations for the tragic incident.”.
I’m going all the way, shouted the pilot – What the 16-year-old brother of the unfortunate 19-year-old said
Dramatic are the statements of the brother of the unfortunate 19-year-old who spoke to photothema.gr and describes the nightmarish moments he lived with his brother at the amusement park. Mother and brother saw the victim being thrown into the air and killed before their eyes.
“We went up on the ride with my brother . Just before we started , the guy who was going to drive it , changed our positions and we heard him say : “I’m going to go all the way, I’m going to go hard…”. At first it was going steady, but then it started going very fast. I was sitting in the same seat as my brother and suddenly I see the seat coming off.
I look at my brother and I say, “John, the seat is coming loose.” He looked me in the eye, he didn’t have time to say a word and I watch my brother disappear. He was thrown into the air by the high speed of the game and killed. Downstairs was my mother and my other brother screaming.
Speaking to protothema.gr, the president of the community of Pefkohori, Giorgos Tsirkoudis, said that he does not know who is responsible for the amusement park. “We are shocked by the incident. The amusement park has been established at the site for more than twenty years. We have never heard of a bad incident like today’s that has broken us before. I know the owner, he is a family man, I don’t know what happened that led to this tragedy…”
A preliminary investigation is being conducted by the Kassandria Police Department. An expert examination will be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of the accident, while the area remains cordoned off by police officers.
The grandmother of the 19-year-old is also shocked
The grandmother of the 19-year-old victim also speaks to protothema.gr and is shocked:
“It’s unfair what happened to our family, it’s unfair. Our child was lost unjustly. My son, the father of the child until he arrived in Halkidiki from Athens driving all night , crying on the steering wheel could not believe that his child died.
His brother who was sitting together in the same seat, tried to hold his brother by the shirt but the shirt ripped and he fell.
What trauma will this child will have, how much psychological support he will need to get over the shock? In a few days , our John was going to go to aviation school, they had prepared a uniform for him, but fate has crushed us all, “says the victim’s grandmother to protothema.gr.
