The dispute turned violent. An 82-year-old man died after a verbal dispute over a sun lounger at a popular resort on the Athenian Riviera reportedly turned violent, The Guardian reported. The tragic incident took place on Sunday (Sept 20) before 10:00 am (local time) at Vouliagmeni Beach, a coastal spot roughly 12 miles south of Athens. The elderly man hoped to get a lounger for the day, but a shortage of available sunbeds sparked a verbal argument between him and a 76-year-old man, whose identity was not revealed, according to reports. A 21-year-old woman accompanying the 76-year-old also reportedly became involved in the fight.
“In Greece, disagreement is expressed vocally, with a lot of screaming and shouting, not in fistfights like this – especially between two elderly men. I think that’s why it is so shocking.” The local report mentioned that the 76-year-old was later arrested.
“The incident is under investigation,” a source told The Guardian .
Fights over pool chairs and sunloungers aren’t new. Because his family couldn’t get sun loungers at their Greek resort, earlier this year, a German man filed a lawsuit against their tour operator. In fact, he won the case with a $1,200 payout. The man, whose identity was not revealed, paid more than 7,186 euros (around $8,400) for an 11-day package holiday at the island of Kos in August 2024. He travelled with his wife and two children, ages 9 and 12. But despite 95-degree heat, the pool area had no available sun loungers.
Each morning, the father woke at 6:00 am (local time) to try the “morning deckchair sprint”, but each of the chairs was already covered in towels, claimed by other guests.
