Girlfriend of 26-year-old British paddle boarder killed by lightning in Greece 'begged him to get out of the water'
30 May 2023, 14:25 | Updated: 31 May 2023, 07:09
The girlfriend of a 26-year-old paddle boarder who died after he was struck by lightning while in the sea off a popular beach in Greece begged him to get to safety during the storm.
Scott Seddon, 26, died on Monday at around 1.30pm local time during a lightning storm on the popular Rhodes beach according to Greek authorities.
The keen sportsman was being filmed paddle boarding by his girlfriend near the Agia Agathi area of Rhodes, the largest of the country's Dodecanese islands, when the incident happened.
According to Greek media, she could be heard shouting "come out, come out" shortly before he was struck.
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Friends have since described his father, Steve Seddon, as being "heartbroken" and "distraught", with one friend adding he had confirmed his son had been electrocuted in the freak incident.
Mr Seddon, who lived in Liverpool with his sister Layla and father Steve, is described as being a "really popular" character who was a fan of the outdoors.
A family friend told the Mail Online: "His sister flew out there last night to be with the rest of the family. Scott was a lovely guy and really popular.
"He used to live in Greece with the family and spoke Greek. He loved it there but now they go and visit there holiday home there and live back here now."
Mr Seddon was reportedly pulled to shore by a Brazillian named as Wander Machado, 47, following the tragic incident.
The rescuer added: “As soon as I got close to him, I saw that he was face down in the water and his face was bruised.
"I immediately knew that every second was crucial and started pulling him to the shore."
Despite the best efforts of his girlfriend, emergency services and those on the beach, Mr Seddon died at the scene.
He's the second British paddle boarder to die in as many days, after a 70-year-old man got into trouble in the waters off Worthing, West Sussex, on Bank Holiday Sunday.
A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson added: "We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Rhodes and are in contact with local authorities."
