A heat wave sweeping across Greece has claimed the life of a 67-year-old German man, whose body was found Monday on the island of Crete. He was the sixth tourist in Greece to die in the extreme heat.
After hiking alone Sunday in a canyon in the Sougia region, the victim called his wife and said he felt unwell.
His body was discovered in a rugged ravine near the southern portion of the island, a statement from the fire department said.
The area was so remote that it could not be accessed by helicopter, according to state news agency ANA, and the victim’s body was removed by a rescue team on foot.
Police did not identify the man.
"A search and rescue operation started immediately, and a special rescue unit with drones spotted the man's [body] in Trypiti canyon," a police official said.
The German national’s death is the latest of several tourist casualties and disappearances connected to exposure to temperatures reaching or surpassing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
Last week, the body of an American was found on Mathraki Island. The body of BBC TV presenter Michael Mosley was found June 9 on the island of Symi after a four-day search. A few days later, an 80-year-old Belgian man was found dead in Lato in eastern Crete. On June 15, a 74-year-old Dutch man was found dead on the island of Samos, and four days later, the body of a 55-year-old Dutch man was found in his car in southeastern Crete, according to state TV ERT.
Rescue missions are ongoing.
Teams are also searching for two French women who have been missing for more than a week on the island of Sikinos, and an American man on Amorgos Island. He has been missing since June 11.
Greek public health authorities have warned the public against heat exposure and encouraged people to remain indoors during the warmest periods of the day.
Some information for this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
