82-Year-Old Man Dies After Fight Over Sunbed On Greek Beach

An 82-year-old man died after a verbal dispute over a sun lounger at a popular resort on the Athenian Riviera reportedly turned violent, The Guardian reported. The tragic incident took place on Sunday (Sept 20) before 10:00 am (local time) at Vouliagmeni Beach, a coastal spot roughly 12 miles south of Athens. According to reports, the elderly man hoped to get a lounger for the day, but a shortage of available sunbeds sparked a verbal argument between him and a 76-year-old man, whose identity was not revealed. The dispute turned violent. A 21-year-old woman accompanying the 76-year-old also reportedly became involved in the fight.

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During the chaos, the 82-year-old sustained serious injuries and collapsed, losing consciousness. Reports suggest he may have suffered a cardiac arrest as the fight unfolded.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene, and CPR was administered. The elderly man was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. Despite efforts by medical staff to save him, he was pronounced dead.

"It seems that people who were with [the assailant] also participated," the state broadcaster ERT reported.

"The 82-year-old was seriously injured and needed to be transferred by ambulance to Asklepieion hospital in Voula."

"Despite the efforts of doctors, at about 11 am the elderly man succumbed to his wounds."

The local report mentioned that the 76-year-old was later arrested.

"The incident is under investigation," a source told The Guardian. "In Greece, disagreement is expressed vocally, with a lot of screaming and shouting, not in fistfights like this - especially between two elderly men. I think that's why it is so shocking."

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Fight over sunbeds and pool chairs

Fights over pool chairs and sunloungers aren't new. Earlier this year, a German man filed a lawsuit against their tour operator because his family couldn't get sun loungers at their Greek resort. In fact, he won the case with a $1,200 payout. The man, whose identity was not revealed, paid more than 7,186 euros (around $8,400) for an 11-day package holiday at the island of Kos in August 2024.

He travelled with his wife and two children, ages 9 and 12. But despite 95-degree heat, the pool area had no available sun loungers. Each morning, the father woke at 6:00 am (local time) to try the "morning deckchair sprint", but each of the chairs was already covered in towels, claimed by other guests.