Tragedy in Neda: The cry and then … the blank

Just a few hours after the tragic death of four -year -old boy to her Nedayesterday morning the authorities returned to the point where the epilogue of this family excursion was written into a … nightmare.

As stated in patrisnewsaccompanied by police, the driver of the tourist group pointed to the authorities where the child allegedly slipped and found in the void, falling from at least 25 meters high, on a rough and dangerous path that crosses nature, but – as it turned out -.

The fall and despair

The accident occurred last Sunday afternoon, when the child, originally from Germany and Guatemala, was hiking with his parents near Neda waterfalls.

The four -year -old boy seems to have been walking a few meters in front of his parents when he suddenly slipped and fell into a canyon of about 25 meters off the trail.

The shocking testimony

The testimony of Dimitris Demertzis, the man who led the German group is shocking. Describes in detail the dramatic moments that have unfolded.

“It was 2pm 5, I’m down the first waterfall on the wooden bridge and I hear a cry. I go back running to see what’s going on and tells me who was in panic that the father and the child left. I called in 112 immediately, the mother shocked and she wanted to dive from below and I was trying to help her. I let my backpack and go down to find the child. In 112 I said exactly the coordinates and that we were in the Neda Gorge. Because I have experience from this hiking field I told him with whom I was talking on the phone to bring with them belts, helmets, to make a rescue underneath. I went down and saw the mother and the father, who was looking for the child, who had taken the stream. We get into the river and the rushing waters, we catch the child, breathe heavy and had a pulse but he had no senses. I put it on my shoulder, we took it on the shore and it was still breathing. We carried him Carpa. We arrived at the bridge, put it in a recovery position, the little kid had a heavy breath. Finally, at 15:55 the fire brigade came with the police. They put the child on a stretcher and we went back. The helicopter landed at 16:25 and left at 16:53, “he says in a voice that breaks …

Battle with time and vain hope

The rescue operation was large and forces were mobilized by the Fire Brigade, EMAK, IKAROS and EKAB. The child, severely injured, was transported by helicopter to Kalamata Hospital.

There, the doctors fought for 40 minutes to keep it alive, without unfortunately succeeding. The child’s father, who was injured in trying to help him, was also taken to Kalamata Hospital.

Voices of anxiety by residents – “Death Path” without measures

The death of the 4 -year -old boy is not the first incident in the area, and the inhabitants are sounding the alarm. As Dimitris Antonopoulos, a tavern owner in the area, complains: “The trail is quite dangerous. Injuries have occurred again. He had also injured a 27 -year -old last year. It is not only where you walk the danger, but also on top of sometimes rocks. “

Residents of the area, hoteliers and hikers call for immediate action. They are demanding the marking of the trail with signs for the danger and essential interventions to ensure the safety of visitors – which will be great from now on.

Unaccompanied excursions without permission? Questions without answers

At the same time, there are questions about how such hiking activities are being organized as there are complaints that many savvy are brought to the gorge, uncontrollable tourists on the… altar of money. Their … “sell” the natural landscape, but without any security … they lead them to paths that play their lives.

The case is now in the hands of the authorities who are investigating the circumstances of the tragedy -not only to take responsibility, but also to not repeat such a tragedy.