Cyprus: Well-known businessman was the 76-year-old killed in boat tragedy amid severe weather – How the tragedy unfolded

Cyprus: Well-known businessman was the 76-year-old killed in the severe weather – How the tragedy unfolded

Businessman Dimis Mavropoulos was the man who was pulled dead from the water after a boat sank in Cyprus. His daughter and partner are being treated in hospital.

The extreme storm that struck Cyprus on Saturday (29/08) proved deadly.

Rescue teams from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) recovered the body of a man who had been on board one of the vessels that sank in the Cape Greco area.

According to Phileleftheros, the victim was 76-year-old Greek Cypriot Dimis Mavropoulos, a well-known businessman from Limassol.

His daughter and partner, who were on board the boat with him, were taken to hospital and remain under medical care. A major operation had been launched yesterday afternoon to locate him, after five other people were rescued from three vessels.

Dimis Mavropoulos was eventually found unconscious by divers and airlifted to hospital by helicopter, where doctors on duty pronounced him dead. Sources from the JRCC said that his partner and daughter managed to jump into the sea, while two helicopters were already in the area and provided them with the necessary assistance.

According to the indications available so far, the 76-year-old businessman appears to have become trapped in the wreckage of the boat.

Who was Dimis Mavropoulos

Dimis Mavropoulos was closely associated with Cypriot entrepreneurship and motorsport. He was born in Limassol in 1949 and was a familiar figure in the city.

As a businessman, he was initially active in the trade and export of Cypriot agricultural products to the British market, continuing a family business tradition. Later in life, he developed broader business and investment activities, including a presence in the real estate sector.

His connection with cars went back many decades. From the late 1960s, he competed in rally races, driving cars made by various manufacturers and recording notable performances on Cyprus’s special stages. In 1986, he won the Cyprus Rally Championship, while in the same year he finished second in the Rothmans International Cyprus Rally.

In 2014, he was involved in the creation of the Cyprus Historic & Classic Motor Museum in Limassol, to which he contributed his personal collection. The museum developed into a venue dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history of motoring.

The tragic events at Cape Greco

Extreme weather conditions were prevailing in the area, prompting the JRCC to be alerted after three vessels in the bay between Konnos and Agioi Anargyroi at Cape Greco were at risk of sinking.

The first vessel to sink was registered for coastal tourism, and one person on board was rescued. According to information, the individual jumped onto the rocks on their own and was rescued by police officers.

Rescue boats rushed to the scene, along with a helicopter that rescued two people from a second recreational vessel, on which the victim was also travelling. The vessel subsequently sank and the man was reported missing, prompting a search operation to locate him.

At the same time, two other people were rescued from a third vessel, which was also at risk of sinking. They are in good health.

Searches in the area will continue today, Sunday (30/08), in order to determine the causes of the tragedy.

Members of the Fisheries Department are also expected to visit the area at first light, weather permitting, to carry out inspections and determine whether there has been any oil pollution in the sea.

JRCC statement on the tragedy

“It is announced that, on 29 August 2026 at 14:30, the JRCC activated the National Search and Rescue Plan ‘NEARCHOS’ in the sea area of Agioi Anargyroi at Cape Greco, with the aim of rescuing people in danger aboard three vessels, two of which were completely destroyed after running aground on rocks due to heavy seas.

For the Search and Rescue operation, a helicopter from the Police Aviation Operations Unit, a helicopter from the National Guard’s 460 Search and Rescue Squadron, a patrol unit from the Famagusta Police Directorate, personnel from EMAK and the Famagusta Fire Station, as well as ambulances from the Ambulance Service, were mobilised. A total of six people were recovered during the operation.

The first person was rescued by a patrol unit from the Famagusta Police Directorate and is in good health. Search and Rescue helicopters recovered five people, two of whom are in good health and were discharged after receiving first aid, while two people are being treated at Famagusta General Hospital. One person, a Greek Cypriot, was recovered unconscious by a Search and Rescue helicopter and transferred to Famagusta General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.”