Couple Dies After Getting Swept Out to Sea While Taking Selfies
Two tourists have died after they were swept out to sea while taking selfies on a cruise ship in Greece.
The incident happened at Sarakiniko beach on the popular holiday island of Milos in the Cyclades on Friday (August 8). The woman reportedly fell into the water while trying to take selfies. Her husband entered the sea in an attempt to save her but also drowned.
The tourist couple, both about 50 years old and from Vietnam, were visiting Milos with a tour group. They had arrived by cruise ship at Adamas port before heading to Sarakiniko.
Multiple Greek news outlets report that the woman was taking selfies on a cruise ship when strong winds and waves caused her to fall overboard. The man jumped in after her in an effort to rescue her but was also pulled away by the current.
“The man and woman were found unconscious in the sea and were taken to the local health centre,” a coastguard spokesperson tells Agence Press France (AFP).
According to the Greek Reporter, a private boat recovered the woman’s body and a private diver located the man’s. Both were taken to the island’s Health Center, where they later died.
Authorities have not released the victims’ names. The civil protection ministry said wind gusts reached around 54 miles per hour on the day in the area.
The incident comes after two influencers drowned after reportedly refusing to wear life jackets on a boat — fearing it would ruin their selfies. Influencers Aline Tamara Moreira de Amorim, 37, and Beatriz Tavares da Silva Faria, 27, were found dead after their bodies washed up on Itaquitanduva Beach in Brazil earlier this month. Meanwhile, in February, a 53-year-old tourist died after leaning out of a train in to take a selfie and hitting a rock. The tourist had tried to take a photo of herself while hanging out of the train on the famous Podi Menike railway line in Sri Lanka.
Researchers have suggested that taking selfies may pose a “public health problem” amid the near ubiquitous use of smartphones and social media apps. The most common deaths reportedly come from people falling off cliffs and waterfalls while taking a photo.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
