Cyprus officials investigate death of British teenager in ‘filthy’ hotel pool
The Cyprus Tourism Organisation has confirmed an investigation is underway after a British teenager drowned in a dirty hotel swimming pool at an ‘unlicensed’ hotel while on holiday in Cyprus.
CTO director UK Orestis Rossides said the matter is under investigation by ‘all relevant authorities’, which includes the CTO, the Local Municipal Authority responsible for health certificates and swimming pool licences, and the Ministry of Labour, responsible for issues relating to health and safety.
Rossides said he could not comment further at this time because the investigation is underway, but he did issue a statement expressing the organisation’s ‘deepest sympathy to the family of the teenager, Savvakis Georgiou, for their loss’ and said ‘our thoughts are with them at this difficult time’.
The statement added: "As the national tourist organisation for the Republic of Cyprus, we take the issue of hotel safety very seriously. We carefully monitor classified accommodation in Cyprus on a continual basis."
Rossides then urged travellers to check the list of classified hotel establishments on its official website www.visitcyprus.com.
The family of the teenager had earlier issued a statement critising authorities for not closing down the unlicensed hotel, which they claim ‘continues to welcome unsuspecting holiday makers into their illegally operating premises’.
They also claimed the hotel had not received approval from the local council to open the swimming pool to the public.
The hotel owners, a father and son aged 63 and 33, were arrested on suspicion of not holding the correct hotel and pool permits, but were released without charge as the investigation continues.
Savvakis Georgiou fell into the pool at the 194-room Kalypso Hotel in the resort of Ayia Napa during an all-night party.
The 18-year-old originally had a booking for the Fedra Hotel, but was told there had been a mix-up and he would have to stay in its sister property, The Kalypso.
Although there were more than 20 other people in the pool at the time, no-one spotted he was in trouble until someone tripped over his body lying on the bottom.
An independent coroner said nobody noticed him because the pool was so ‘murky and littered with rubbish’, including syringes, condoms and cigarette butts.
The teenager from Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, a footballer who was on the books of Stevenage FC, was pronounced dead at Famagusta Hospital.
He had travelled to the party resort with his cousin after visiting his grandparents in nearby Protaras.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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