Emergency services responded Friday to assist a 64-year-old French visitor who was injured while hiking in the Kolokytha area of Elounda.
Crete Is Not a Theme Park.
- A 64-year-old French tourist was successfully evacuated by sea after suffering a head injury from a fall while hiking on the Kolokitha peninsula.
- The Elounda Port Authority teamed up with the Fire Service and a local commercial vessel to reach the injured hiker in an area inaccessible by road.
- The hiker remained conscious and was transported by boat to the “Kanali” area of Elounda, where an EKAB ambulance transferred him to the Agios Nikolaos General Hospital.
The Elounda Port Authority was alerted by the Fire Service regarding a 64-year-old French national who had fallen and sustained a head injury while walking along the peninsula. Because of the rocky terrain, authorities bypassed land transport and immediately commandeered a local commercial vessel to approach the coastline closest to the accident site.
The rescue team successfully located the hiker, administered initial first aid, and transferred him onto the boat. Throughout the evacuation, the man retained full consciousness. The vessel brought him safely to the “Kanali” junction in Elounda, the main land corridor connecting the peninsula to the mainland.
An EKAB ambulance was waiting at Kanali to receive the patient, rushing him to the Agios Nikolaos General Hospital for stitches and preventative scans.
This rescue marks the fourth emergency operation successfully coordinated by the Elounda Port Authority since the official start of the summer tourist season. Local emergency services continue to urge travelers to wear proper footwear, carry communication devices, and exercise extreme caution when navigating the sun-baked, rocky trails of eastern Crete.
