Boyfriend’s devastation over plunge girl’s death
Screaming
THE heartbroken boyfriend of British astrophysicist Dr Natalie Christopher last night told of his devastation.
Kyriakos Ashikalis, 38, identified his girlfriend after she was found dead in a ravine on the Greek island of Ikaria.
Dr Christopher, 35, is believed to have died instantly after smashing her head on a rock after she fell while climbing.
Mr Ashikalis said yesterday: “It is hard to put into words how I am feeling now. Of course I am devastated and it is so hard to talk about what has happened.”
Mr Ashikalis, a board member at a travel company, had known Dr Christopher for five years and they lived together in Cyprus.
He is said to have identified his girlfriend’s body by her clothing including her distinctive running shoes and is expected to fly home to Cyprus in the coming days.
A rescue worker told how Mr Ashikalis had to be restrained by police when her body was finally discovered afterWednesday’s tragedy.
They said: “He was screaming and crying and tried to run up the track to be with her.
“He was distraught and pacing up and down and trying to get past the police. I don’t think he could believe that she was dead.”
The keen runner, climber and hiker vanished on Monday morning after telling her boyfriend she was going out for a run.
Local rescue teams believe Oxford-educated Dr Christopher may have been climbing a 13ft cliff face when she fell.
A large boulder also dislodged during her fall landed on her hip, rescue teams added.