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In Greece, Another Tourist Found Dead Amid Scorching Heat Wave

At least 10 foreign tourists have gone missing or been found dead this year in Greece after going for a hike, often in scorching temperatures.

A woman fanning another woman in front of the Parthenon at the ancient Acropolis.
A woman fanning someone on a bench in front of the Parthenon at the ancient Acropolis in Athens this month. Because of the extreme heat, Greek authorities took the unusual steps earlier this month to temporarily restrict visiting hours to the Acropolis and several other ancient sites.Credit...Petros Giannakouris/Associated Press

Reporting from Athens

Greek authorities said on Monday that the body of a missing German man was recovered near a gorge on the island of Crete, the latest in a series of fatal incidents involving tourists undertaking demanding hikes in the scorching heat.

At least 10 tourists have gone missing or been found dead this year in similar circumstances, according to Greek authorities. The country has experienced back-to-back heat waves earlier than usual this year, with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in many areas for several days in a row.

The 67-year-old man’s body was found in “rugged and inaccessible terrain” near the Tripiti Gorge in southwestern Crete, the fire service said in a statement. It was first spotted by a drone on Sunday evening. Early Monday, the fire service sent a helicopter, though it took responders several hours to reach the body.

As of Monday, the man’s name and cause of death had not been released.

According to Constantina Dimoglidou, a police spokeswoman, the man had contacted his wife early Sunday afternoon, saying he had run out of water and felt ill. He did not know his location, but the authorities traced his cellphone signal.

The Tripiti Gorge is a demanding trek generally undertaken by experienced hikers, Ms. Dimoglidou said.

Monday’s discovery was the most recent in a string of tourist deaths in the past month.

An 80-year-old Belgian man, a Dutch man and a Frenchwoman, both 70, all died while on separate hiking trips on the island of Crete.


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