Heartbreaking scenes unfolded yesterday (August 5) off Klotzani Beach in Malia, Crete, when a 42-year-old Dutch woman drowned after jumping into the sea to help her friend, in full view of three children who desperately cried out for help.
The 42-year-old and her 43-year-old friend had rented a boat from Hersonissos for a day trip with three children aged 3, 8 and 15.
According to Neakriti.gr, the 43-year-old was swimming with the children, who were wearing life jackets, before the youngsters climbed back onto the boat by themselves. She then became exhausted and began drifting away in the sea currents, calling for help.
The 42-year-old immediately jumped into the water to assist her friend but swallowed water and lost consciousness. The 43-year-old managed to reach her and kept her afloat on her back while waiting for rescuers to arrive.
According to Alpha TV, the autopsy concluded that the cause of death was drowning. The woman’s three-year-old child is expected to be taken into the care of their 21-year-old sister, who flew from the Netherlands following the tragedy.
“I Saw the Children Waving Their Arms and Crying for Help”
“I saw the children waving their arms and asking for help,” said Genadios, the operator of a parasailing boat who was the first to reach the drifting vessel carrying the three children, speaking to Alpha TV.
The boat had been left adrift about 500 meters from the shore, while the terrified children screamed for assistance.
“The children told us that their mother was a little farther away from the boat,” he said.
The incident immediately triggered a large-scale rescue operation on the beach.
Rescue Attempt
“I left immediately on a jet ski, alerted the lifeguard, and another jet ski set off as well,” said Mr. Prinaris, owner of a local water sports business.
“The woman was holding her friend in the water, but she was already unconscious. The lifeguard jumped in and we tried to lift her onto the jet ski.”
Lifeguards, assisted by a doctor who happened to be at Klotzani Beach, made every effort to revive the 42-year-old but were unable to save her.
“CPR was performed for about 15 minutes. We couldn’t find any signs of life,” said lifeguard Mr. Khutsishvili.
Another lifeguard, Mr. Koxarakis, noted:
“The two women were very far from the shore. Fortunately, there were no additional fatalities.”
Coast Guard Response
A Hellenic Coast Guard vessel later arrived at the scene and recovered the drifting boat carrying the three children along with the rescued 43-year-old Dutch woman.
“The other woman was devastated. When I told her that her friend hadn’t survived, she burst into tears,” Mr. Prinaris said.
“The children were in terrible condition. They were crying, screaming, and panicking. When they learned that the woman had died, it became an incredibly difficult situation.”
“Five of Us Performed CPR”
Lifeguard Mr. Khutsishvili described the rescue effort in detail.
“We couldn’t initially see the boat because it was so far offshore. Even with binoculars it wasn’t visible. The water sports team spotted it and reached the victims with two jet skis to tow them back. We were alerted over the radio.”
“As soon as they reached shallow water, we jumped in, pulled the woman ashore, and five of us immediately began CPR—two lifeguards, two members of the water sports staff, and a doctor who happened to be a customer on the beach.”
“We performed CPR for at least 15 minutes. She had no pulse, but we kept trying, hoping we could save her. We had already called the ambulance service. She never regained consciousness.”
He added that paramedics from EKAB, Greece’s national emergency medical service, continued resuscitation efforts before placing the victim on a spinal board and transferring her to the ambulance.
“There was panic everywhere. Crowds had gathered around us, waiting to see what would happen,” he recalled.
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