A 27-year-old man of Egyptian origin died on August 15 in the sea off Lady’s Mile, an area under British Bases jurisdiction, after diving in to retrieve his phone, philenews has learned.
According to cross-checked information obtained by philenews, the man was on board a catamaran with a group of other people at the time. An eyewitness told the philenews website that his phone fell into the sea and he dived in to retrieve it.
He was later noticed floating unconscious on the surface of the water. People on the boat pulled him out and attempted to administer first aid, but he could not be revived.
A second man, of Jordanian origin, was also endangered in the same incident. He received immediate first aid and, according to the same sources, recovered.
About 15 people were on board the catamaran, taking part in an organised event as the boat carried out a sea tour of the Lady’s Mile area.
British Bases authorities were informed of the incident and took over the investigation. As part of their inquiries, they took statements from people on board the catamaran as well as from the boat’s owner.
Toxicology tests are expected to help determine the exact cause of the 27-year-old’s death, with the results to be assessed alongside the rest of the investigation’s findings.
So far, nothing has emerged pointing to suspicious circumstances or to any prior incident, with initial indications suggesting an accidental drowning. Investigations are continuing to fully establish the circumstances of the man’s death.
The death is the latest in a series of fatal drownings recorded in Cypriot waters this summer, including two women who drowned off Oroklini in June and a mother who died at Larnaca’s CTO beach earlier this month.
Cyprus recorded 33 deaths in aquatic environments in 2025, with foreign nationals or non-Cypriots accounting for 61% of victims, according to figures presented at a National Day for the Prevention of Drownings and Marine Accidents event in July.
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