A relaxing morning at a popular beach near Athens turned deadly after an argument over a lounge chair erupted into a physical confrontation between two elderly men.
The incident happened shortly before 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, at Akti Vouliagmenis beach in Vouliagmeni, a seaside suburb south of Athens, Greece.
According to Greek police and local reports, an 82-year-old man became involved in a heated dispute with a 76-year-old man over the use of a sunbed. Witnesses said the older man had apparently been holding or reserving the chair while waiting for other people to arrive.
The argument quickly escalated.
Beachgoers reportedly heard shouting as the confrontation turned physical, drawing attention from people across the beach.
During the fight, the 82-year-old suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed.
Emergency crews rushed him to Asklepieio Voula hospital, where doctors tried to save him. He died shortly afterward.
Police arrested the 76-year-old man and charged him with causing fatal bodily harm.
A 21-year-old woman who had been with him was also taken into custody. Authorities said she faces charges of aiding and abetting fatal bodily harm, as well as threats and verbal abuse.
The woman reportedly had swelling and blood on her face following the confrontation. She was later released, according to the BBC.
Greek reports said police also questioned an employee or manager connected to the company operating the beach’s sunbeds as investigators worked to piece together exactly how the dispute began and what happened during the fight.
The 82-year-old had reportedly gone to the beach with his wife for what was supposed to be a quiet Sunday outing. Local reporting said the two elderly men did not appear to have known each other before the confrontation.
Some early reports alleged that the victim was physically struck during the altercation, but authorities have not yet publicly released a complete account of the confrontation or said exactly what injuries he suffered before going into cardiac arrest.
An autopsy was expected to help determine the precise cause of death and whether the physical altercation directly contributed to the fatal cardiac episode.
Authorities have not publicly released the names of the victim, the 76-year-old suspect or the 21-year-old woman.
The investigation remains ongoing as police review witness statements and other evidence from the beach.
