ATHENA, Dec 15 two people, under unclear circumstances, fell into the sea in the area of Kakos Oros near Crete and sank, one person died — a 62-year-old citizen of South Africa, Greek public television ERT reports.
The second on board, a 34-year-old foreigner, was rescued and healthy , according to the TV channel.
A small plane took off from Heraklion airport and was heading, according to the first information, to Egypt. At 9.55 am (10.55 Moscow time) the plane gave a distress signal. The plane crashed into the sea 3-5 miles from the coast.
Local authorities were immediately mobilized, a Coast Guard patrol and nearby boats arrived at the scene to help two passengers who were pulled from the sea. Doctors declared the death of a 62-year-old man.
As for the 34-year-old man, he said that he was in general good health, there were no obvious injuries, and that he was undergoing a series of preventive examinations.
The surviving man told doctors that The 62-year-old man spoke of chest pain, the TV channel reported.
Heraklion airport officials said that the plane that took off belonged to a company from Indonesia, arrived from Podgorica (Montenegro) and was heading to Hurghada in Egypt. Together with him, the second such aircraft, with which they traveled together, took off, he returned to the airfield of Heraklion, according to ERT.