Two yachts sink leaving businessman, 77, dead and two injured after deadly storm strikes off Ayia Napa coast

A HORROR storm struck off the coast of Ayia Napa, sinking two yachts and killing a 77-year-old man. Emergency rescue teams were alerted at 2.30pm on Saturday to reports of people in danger on three boats off Cape Greko. A helicopter hovers above one of the stranded vessels caught in treacherous conditions at sea Credit: Anadolu Agency via Reuters Connect Witnesses watch on in horror as the boat grounds onto the rocks Credit: Anadolu Agency via Reuters Connect The vessels were caught amidst one of the most severe summer storms to hit Cyprus in years, sparking treacherous conditions at sea. Heavy thunderstorms, hail and strong winds battered the yachts as they struggled through powerful tides. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! A witness, named only as Panikos, told local outlet Philenews: “I was taking pictures and I saw a man asking for help, inside the big boat. “He shouted SOS the first time and then he was waving his arms.” One of the boats completely submerged in water after a terrifying storm Credit: Anadolu Agency via Reuters Connect The wreckage of three completely destroyed yachts washes ashore Credit: Anadolu Agency via Reuters Connect The boat had hit the rocks and was caught in shallow waters, lashed by brutal waves. Panikos immediately called the police while he ran down to the shore with three other witnesses and threw a rope out to the man. “We tied the rope to a large rock and threw it for the man to catch, because he did not know how to swim”, Panikos recalled. A patrol car arrived at the scene with two police officers who told the group they would take over. Most read in The Sun But Panikos said: “I told him, buddy, the ship has a crack and will break up in the next wave, and right after that, indeed, the ship slowly started to break up.” One of the cops jumped into the sea – now a raging force – and pulled the man to safety with the rope. Panikos spotted a second ship caught in the chaos out at sea, on a collision course with another vessel. The yacht, which belonged to businessman Dimis Mavropoulos, 77, was heading inland when the engines cut out. Taking a left turn, the ship turned sideways and was rammed with terrifying force into the rocks. Two women aboard jumped into the sea but Dimis remained on board. But, Panikos told the outlet: “The police boats couldn’t get close at all. The winds must have been 10-11 Beaufort.” The Joint Rescue and Coordination Centre (JRCC) said two of the three boats were completely destroyed after running aground on rocks. Shocking footage shows the wreckages on the shoreline, obliterated into hundreds of floating fragments. JRCC helicopters rescued five more people. Two of them were released from hospital after receiving first aid, while two others remain under treatment at Famagusta general hospital. A sixth person, later identified as Dimis, was airlifted unconscious by a JRCC helicopter and pronounced dead at the hospital. The storm sparked chaos across Cyprus, with the fire service receiving 357 calls nationwide. Reports mainly involved water pumping, fallen trees and objects, as well as damage caused by strong winds and heavy rainfall. A major rescue operation was launched in Agios Dometios after a child became trapped under an awning on the balcony of a fourth-floor apartment. Rescue teams managed to free the child without injury. Comment now