This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/05/two-britons-die-cyprus-beach-harry-bernard-christine-sugarhood

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Two British holidaymakers die in Cyprus beach accident Two British holidaymakers die in Cyprus beach accident
(about 7 hours later)
Two Britons have died in Cyprus in a beach tragedy that has shocked the island. The holidaymakers, who were both from London and are believed to have been friends, died after one panicked in rough seas off the island’s notoriously turbulent southern coast and the other valiantly attempted to rescue her. Two British friends have died after one of them got into trouble in rough seas off the south coast of Cyprus and the other collapsed after trying to rescue her.
Harry Bernard rushed in to save Christine Sugarhood, aged 66, as she struggled in the waters off the popular tourist resort of Paphos. As beachgoers looked on, the 61-year-old managed to bring Sugarhood, who is thought to have fallen unconscious, back to shore, but seconds later died after trying to revive her. Holidaymaker Harry Bernard, 61, tried to save Christine Sugarhood, 66, as she struggled in the sea off the resort of Paphos on Tuesday.
A police spokeswoman, Panaghiota Georgiou, told the Guardian: “After administering first aid he lost consciousness himself. We will know for sure what happened once a postmortem is conducted, but he probably suffered a heart attack.” He managed to bring his friend back to the shore but died after trying to revive her. Panaghiota Georgiou, of the local police, said: “After administering first aid he lost consciousness himself. From what we understand, Bernard was a friend of the woman and didn’t think twice when he saw her run into trouble in the sea.”
A coroner at the state-run hospital in Paphos is expected to announce the results of an examination this afternoon, she said. The pair were on holiday with their spouses. Local media reported that Sugarhood had rushed into the sea when she saw her husband Norman struggling in the water. Post-mortem examinations showed that both Bernard and Sugarhood had died from heart attacks.
“From what we understand, Bernard was a friend of the woman and didn’t think twice when he saw her run into trouble in the sea,” she said, speaking from the island’s capital, Nicosia. “The incident occurred at around 4.30pm.” The currents of Paphos are famously unpredictable, with holidaymakers drowning off its coast every year. Lifeguards, on duty throughout the summer months, were not deployed at the time of the accident, witnesses said.
The friends were pronounced dead by doctors upon arrival at the hospital. Both victims were on holiday with their spouses, with some media reports suggesting that Sugarhood had rushed into the sea when she saw her husband struggling in the water. An anonymous hotelier said: “It is a scandal that they weren’t there. Even though tourists keep coming at this time of year, they only work through to the end of October.”
The currents of Paphos are famously unpredictable, with holidaymakers drowning off its coast every year. Lifeguards, on duty throughout the summer months, were not deployed at the time of the tragedy, witnesses said.
An anonymous hotelier said: “It is a scandal that they weren’t there. But even though tourists keep coming at this time of year, they only work through to the end of October.”
The former British colony remains a favourite destination for UK travellers, with Paphos among the top resorts for holidaymakers visiting the island’s Greek-controlled south.The former British colony remains a favourite destination for UK travellers, with Paphos among the top resorts for holidaymakers visiting the island’s Greek-controlled south.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We can confirm the deaths of two British nationals. We are providing consular assistance at this difficult time.”