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A lounge chair war turned deadly at a popular beach recently.
An 82-year-old man and a 76-year-old man got into a fiery argument on the morning of Sept. 20 over a chair on the beach in Vouliagmeni, Greece, just south of Athens, the Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported.
The conflict was triggered when the 82-year-old attempted to reserve a seat for his incoming group, witnesses told the BBC.
CHAIR-HOGGING WARS HEAT UP AS CRUISE TRAVELERS USE SNEAKY TACTICS AMID CRACKDOWNS
Shouts during the violent struggle could be heard by onlookers across the beach, local outlets reported.
During the confrontation, the 82-year-old went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the sand, according to Kathimerini.
A lounge chair war turned deadly on the beach in Vouliagmeni, Greece when two elderly men (not pictured) claimed they had reserved the same chairs. One man went into cardiac arrest and two others were charged. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images)
He was transported to an area hospital but died soon after.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Vouliagmeni police department for additional details.
The 76-year-old was taken into custody and charged with causing fatal bodily harm, according to the outlets.
The dispute centered around a cluster of six sunbeds.
Authorities also arrested a 21-year-old woman accompanying him on charges of verbal abuse, as well as aiding and abetting fatal bodily harm.
The woman, who sustained a swollen and bloody face, was subsequently released from custody, the BBC said.
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The dispute centered around a cluster of six sunbeds.
The 76-year-old and his 21-year-old companion had purchased tickets and selected two of the loungers — but the 82-year-old insisted the entire space was already claimed for his friends, according to local reports.
Because of the beaches’ proximity to central Athens, the vibrant shores become lively hubs during weekends. (Byron Smith)
The verbal altercation turned physical when the 82-year-old allegedly struck the young woman in the face, prompting the younger man and other bystanders to retaliate, witnesses told the BBC.
“We saw them beating a man … and all this for a deck chair.”
Following the 82-year-old’s collapse, a nurse who happened to be on the beach rushed over with other bystanders to administer CPR and use a defibrillator, the Greek news outlet TA NEA reported.
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Despite the life-saving efforts, the man was pronounced dead shortly after 11 a.m. at Asklepieion Hospital in the nearby town of Voula.
Authorities have ordered a postmortem examination to determine his cause of death, according to Kathimerini.
At peak times, Vouliagmeni Beach on the Athens Riviera can get up to 7,000 to 8,000 visitors per day. The staggering crowds can create bottlenecks and anger among locals. (Byron Smith)
The fatal escalation over beach furniture left onlookers stunned.
“It was chaos,” one witness told TA NEA.
“We saw them beating a man, another man, a woman beating him — and then we see them giving him CPR. And all this for a deck chair.”
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The beach resort’s manager was also detained by police for questioning regarding the incident, local outlets reported.
The 76-year-old suspect and the 21-year-old woman are scheduled to testify before a judge on Wednesday, Sept. 23, according to Kathimerini.
The dispute occurred against the backdrop of rising national tensions over beach accessibility in Greece. (Anadolu via Getty Images)
The tragic dispute occurred against the backdrop of rising national tensions over beach accessibility in Greece.
Earlier this year, government officials launched a nationwide crackdown on private businesses monopolizing public coastlines, using drones and a citizen complaint app to enforce limits on illegal sunbeds, the BBC noted.
