Two more drownings on Sunday

ANOTHER two people lost their lives in the sea on Sunday, taking the total number of deaths by drowning on the island over the weekend to three.

The latest victim was a 56-year-old British tourist who was found dead off the coast in Ayia Napa on Sunday night. The tourist was taken to the Larnaca General Hospital just after 9pm after his body was spotted by the coastal guard. The 56-year-old was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to initial police reports, the possibility of his death being a criminal act has been eliminated, while the exact circumstances behind his death will be determined after his autopsy, which was set to be carried out last night.

The 56-year-old was on the island on holiday with his family.

In a separate incident a few hours earlier, a Syrian man was found unconscious in the sea in Limassol. He was transported to the Limassol General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The 31-year-old immigrant was discovered at around 6pm by swimmers in the sea opposite the Limassol municipal gardens, police said. Despite efforts by doctors at the General Hospital to revive him, the man did not regain consciousness.

According to the police, the Syrian was on the island illegally.

On Friday, an unidentified tourist was found floating dead in the sea off Cape Greco. His post mortem found a number of injuries to the man’s body, believed not to be evidence of foul play but resulting from his body being washed up against the rocks.

Following the drowning of Pantelis Stylianou in Paphos less than two weeks ago, the government urged swimmers to be more vigilant and to take more care in order to avoid the risks of drowning.

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