A shocking accident on the island of Naxos. A 29-year-old Austrian tourist was seriously injured when strong winds swept away her kite surf. Carried away uncontrollably, she crashed on sun umbrellas, the roof of a restaurant and the wall of a beach hotel. Having suffered life-threatening injuries she tourist received first aid treatment in the hospital of Naxos and as then wastransferred to a hospital in Athens, where she remains in the intensive care unit.
The woman was having vacations on the island together with her husband and their child.
The accident took place in Mikri Vigla village, an area which is famous among kite surf enthusiasts.
According to local media, the Austrian tourist was kite surfing in the sea. When the strong wind blew, she did not untie herself from the kite and therefore she was swept way.
The woman suffered multiple serious injuries in the head, the chest, the abdomen and other parts of the body.
The accident occurred in front of many people, including a life guard. They were all shocked and unable to help the 29-year-old.
Speaking to NaxosTimes, eye-witnesses said they saw the woman “been lifted from the sea,” and carried away from the wind she first “hit on beach umbrellas” some 100 meters away from the sea. She was crashed on a window, then on the tiny roof of the hotel restaurant and she was finally “tossed onto the wall of the beach hotel.”
“I was in the sea and I was kite surfing and when I saw what was happening … my legs were cut,” a holidaymaker told NXT adding “I think the accident was due to her own fault.”
Another eyewitness said it was shocking to see the woman been helplessly ‘beaten’ by the wind.
A kite surfing tutor pointed out that the woman probably lost her temper and failed to loose the “eagle” from the kite so the wind carried her away uncontrollably.
The woman was using her own kite surf.
The accident took place Monday noon. By late afternoon, she was transferred to Athens with a military helicopter. Her health condition remains critical, she has no contact to the environment. Her family is considering to have her transferred to Austria. (all information and footage by NaxosTimes.gr)
