This is what Greek media report about the dramatic accident. Our compatriot had been to bars in the entertainment district of Hersonissos – a popular holiday destination among young people on the Greek island of Crete – and returned with his friends to the hotel where he was staying under the influence. There he decided to take a dip in the pool, not realizing that there was no water in it. He flipped over to the bottom and suffered serious injuries to his face and arms.
‘Horrible’
Hastily warned medical personnel from the EKAV emergency service had to enter the basin to safely lift the boy out. He was then rushed to hospital. There is much talk on the island about the serious incident, although many do not know what exactly happened. “It happened in his hotel, not in a public place. As a result, no one except his friends has been able to see it,” said an employee of the Tiger Bar on the coast of the Cretan Sea. “But it is terrible.”
A bartender from the Irish bar Shenanigans, a little further away, also claims to know about the drama. “I have read it, yes,” he confirms to De Telegraaf. “I’ve also heard that he’s pretty okay now, but I don’t know if that’s true. There is talk about this, but you don’t know what is true. Let’s hope it’s not too serious.”
‘Barrage of incidents’
There is also a lot of reaction to the serious accident on social media. “Who is going to dive into a swimming pool while drunk without looking first?” says one. “It often goes wrong with Dutch young people abroad,” says another. “Once they’re with friends and drinking a lot, things get too out of hand. Tragic.”
The accident happened on Saturday. It was a busy evening and night for the emergency services on the island anyway. Greek media are talking about a ‘barrage of incidents’. According to information from local authorities, EKAV ambulances were called across the island in more than 12 incidents involving young people who had to be transported to hospital. Half of these events involved ‘foreign visitors’. There is almost always excessive alcohol involved.