Police probe fatal Jet Ski incident in Limassol

A man believed to have been involved in a Jet Ski fatal incident has identified himself to police, a day after his passenger was found dead in the water in Limassol.

A man was spotted unconscious in the water at a Limassol beach, near Poseidonia Beach Hotel, on Saturday late afternoon.

Lifeguards rushed to the scene where they pulled the man onto a boat and began attempts to resuscitate him but to no avail. As soon as the boat reached the shore, a defibrillator was also used along with an oxygenation method until the ambulance arrived. He was rushed to the Emergency Room at Limassol General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to local media, the man and a male friend, both described as 50-year-old Romanian nationals, had rented a Jet Ski, with media speculating there may have been an accident resulting to the passenger falling in the water.

The time of the incident was not immediately specified, but a lifeguard post on social media said they responded to a drowning incident at 4:30pm. Police told Knews they were investigating an unnatural death case after being notified at 5:20pm.

Police also said neither the man in the water nor the driver of the Jet Ski had been identified initially. Local media also said the Jet Ski owner had rented the water scooter to the two men without asking for any identification documents.

But reports later said the driver of the Jet Ski walked into Yermasoyia police station and identified himself, while also giving information about his dead passenger.

Police stopped short of saying whether the Jet Ski driver was wanted by police but confirmed that investigators had been trying to ascertain the identities of both the deceased and the driver, who was said in local reports to have fled the scene of an accident. The circumstances of the incident were also not immediately known while no eye witnesses came forward following the incident.

Local reports said the Jet Ski owner told police that the paid time for the rental had expired before a person on another water craft spotted an injured man in the water. Unverified reports said a lifeguard hopped on the Jet Ski driven by another individual and rushed to the location, while a lifeguard vessel also rushed to their aid.

Local media said the man in the water had his life vest on when he was spotted, while no external injuries were found on his body.

Local experts who made statements to the media after the incident said no jet skis should ever be rented out without verifying one’s identity. They also urged people to take safety precautions and avoid drinking alcohol prior to engaging in water sports and recreational activities.

Police said they were investigating the incident.

Story has been updated with additional information about the men involved in the incident