French Tourist Dies After Collapsing During Hike Near Balos in Crete
A 41-year-old French tourist died on Sunday near Balos, a beach in the Chania region of Crete, after collapsing while hiking in high temperatures and intense sunshine, according to authorities and local reports.
The woman had gone to the area in the afternoon with her partner. They left their car in a car park at Falasarna and continued on foot towards Balos beach, following a difficult trail, as reported by the Coordination Centre of the Hellenic Fire Service and the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA).
Despite warning signs in the area prohibiting access, the couple proceeded along a route that involves a lengthy and particularly demanding hike due to the rugged terrain.
On their way back, about a kilometre from the car park, the woman lost consciousness and collapsed from dehydration. Her partner returned to the car to get water and alerted authorities by calling 112.
A large-scale rescue operation was launched, involving firefighters from the Kissamos Fire Station and a team from EMODE (a specialist forest-operations unit). The firefighters found the woman unconscious and administered first aid, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until paramedics from the National Emergency Centre (EKAB) arrived. The EKAB crew continued revival efforts and transferred her to hospital, but she died during transport, according to authorities.
The Fire Service's Coordination Centre underlined that high temperatures and intense sunshine make hiking on long and demanding routes particularly dangerous. The Fire Service stressed that the strain on the body in such weather conditions is extremely high and urged residents and visitors to take particular caution and strictly adhere to safety notices.