Young boy dies after beach accident

A young boy died Monday night, hours after he was pulled out of the water and rushed to the Emergency Room following an incident at a Limassol beach on Monday, with reports saying the person who spotted the child was none other than the Nicosia mayor.

According to police, a 9-year-old boy was in an extremely critical condition on Monday following an accident in the water at a beach in Yermasoyia, Limassol district.

An official report said the incident took place in the morning around 10:30, when beachgoers spotted the young boy about one metre underneath the water surface.

According to online Reporter, Nicosia Mayor Constantinos Yiorkadjis was at the beach at the time of the incident, where he played a pivotal role in the event after he spotted and pulled the child out of the water. Lifeguards then arrived at the scene and immediately began attempts to resuscitate.

An ambulance rushed the boy to the Emergency Room at Limassol General Hospital, with doctors on duty ordering the 9-year-old transferred to Makarios Children's Hospital in Nicosia where he was admitted in "extremely critical condition." Police on Tuesday morning said the boy passed on just before midnight around 11:45pm.

Local media said the boy had a head injury, possibly after falling onto rocks, while police investigators who visited the location in question reportedly ruled out any criminal activity.

Police said officers were carrying out an investigation to determine the circumstances of what they believe to have been an accident in the water.

Story updated with information from police on Tuesday morning