British teen dies in holiday boat tragedy
A BRITISH schoolboy has died after he apparently fell out of a speedboat while on a family holiday in Greece.
The 15-year-old was said to have been hit by the boat’s propellor.
The family was travelling on a boat they had rented on the small Ionian island of Paxos on Saturday.
He was with his parents and two siblings, aged 15 and 17, when tragedy struck.
Reports suggest the boy lost his balance in rough weather, fell over the side and was fatally injured, local authorities said.
His family sped back to the shore where he was transferred to a hospital but doctors pronounced him dead.
The family, who are now believed to be living in the US, had been travelling to the island’s main port of Gaios when the accident happened. Conditions were described by a local coastguard official as choppy.
The father, said to be aged 54, was qualified to drive the speedboat, which was believed to have been powered by a 150hp outboard motor.
A spokesman for the Paxos health centre confirmed that a teenage boy died in the incident, which is now being investigated.
Condolences
The mayor of the island, Spyros Vlachopoulos, said: “The child was transferred to the island’s health centre, where his death was found to have been instant.
“The doctors could not offer any service.
“We are offering our most sincere condolences and we will assist the family however we can.”