The man, who was on holiday with his family, had lost consciousness while swimming and was retrieved from the water by the captain of a tourist boat, which had come to his assistance upon receiving calls for help from the victim’s father.

As soon as the person was taken on board the ship, a doctor who was also a passenger started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and this involved a long-lasting, continuous operation carried out jointly by the Greek Coast Guard and the medical emergency team throughout the journey to the port and then to the hospital. The basic life support measures were maintained for about 79 minutes until the victim was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit at Zakynthos General Hospital.

Local authorities and the medical personnel present stressed the importance of a quick water rescue and immediate, continuous resuscitation measures to restore the patient’s vital signs. Although the Portuguese national was admitted to hospital intubated and in a critical condition, his clinical condition is stable.