GREEK police have announced that at least six people have been investigated in what appears to be yet another “hour-by-hour” homicide investigation.
The 44-year-old British crew member was tragically found “floating in the sea” near Spetses last Friday morning.
The stranger was on a yacht participating in the island’s annual Classic Regatta.
In an unexpected turn of events, a public prosecutor ordered the crews of two boats to remain on the glamorous island of Spetses for further questioning on Sunday.
On Monday, police confirmed that his body was spotted by a boat passing through the island’s former exclusive port area, deepening the mystery surrounding the man’s death.
The Briton had a cut on the left side of his head, suggesting he had been hit.
Investigators told the Sun they believed he was unconscious when he fell into the sea.
A senior police official who preferred to remain anonymous said: “What puzzled and bothered us is that no one informed the police that he was missing,
“Hour by hour, this starts to look like a murder investigation.”
On Friday, the dead man’s body was transferred to the coroner’s office in the port city of Piraeus, on the outskirts of the Greek capital.
The results of the autopsy have not been released.
The Sun has learned that as well as the crew of the ship the man worked on – all believed to be from the UK – the crew of a second boat were also asked to remain on the island.
“The six will have to give a statement. That’s what the Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered,” said another official.
Spetses has long been the playground of the rich and famous, including members of the now-deposed Greek royal family.
The three-day regatta ended on Sunday night.
The regatta attracts hundreds of sailing fanatics every year and is seen as one of the most competitive regattas in Europe.
A source told The Sun: “No arrest warrants have been issued but they are expected to remain here until the investigation is complete.”
The tragedy brings the death toll of tourists in Greece since the beginning of June to nine – described as “unprecedented” by local police.
With the exception of the latest incidents, all of the victims, including British television presenter Michael Mosley, a famous doctor found dead on the remote island of Symi, lost their lives while walking in scorching temperatures.
Greece has been sweltering in extreme heat for most of the month, with the country forced to take emergency measures, including closing the Acropolis, the Greek capital’s most visited site, during the hottest hours of the day.
This week, Greek health minister Adonis Georgiadis warned tourists “must be careful” and attributed the deaths to tourists underestimating climate change “and the dangerous phenomena it has created”.
A local Spetsiot said the tragedy shook the island:
“This is the Monte Carlo of Greece and nothing like it happens here. We are really shocked.”
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