NEED TO KNOW
- A young girl was found dead at Edem Beach near Athens, Greece, in the early morning of July 27
- The identity and cause of death of the girl, believed to be 3, are not yet known
- The national coast guard of Greece issued an “urgent appeal to the public for information regarding the discovery of a deceased minor girl”
A girl believed to be 3 years old was found dead on a beach in Greece, and authorities have yet to identify her.
The girl was found at Edem Beach, located in the seafront neighborhood of Palaio Faliro outside of Athens. The Hellenic Coast Guard shared in an “urgent announcement” on Sunday, July 27, that the girl had been discovered in the early morning hours that same day.
The coast guard said that “the body of a minor girl, approximately 3 to 3.5 years old,” was found in “the sea area” of the beach, which is located just a few miles from the capital city of Athens.
A man discovered the girl and immediately called emergency services, according to Greek newspaper Proto Thema. An ambulance transported her to a children’s hospital, but she was pronounced dead.
One eyewitness, who said they came to the beach around 3 a.m. local time for a night swim, said they noticed a police and first responder presence around about half an hour later, Proto Thema reported.
“I was about 100 meters away when they shone their lights on the sand — there was a small girl, wearing a one-piece swimsuit. An ambulance came, they covered her with a blanket, and took her away,” the witness, identified as Mr. Marios, told Greek outlet SKAI, according to Proto Thema.
“The child’s death appeared fairly recent,” said Marios. He also said that “based on her features, I don’t think the child was Greek.”
The girl showed no visible signs of abuse, and how she ended up alone remains alone, according to Proto Thema. Her cause of death is also unknown, pending a forensic examination and autopsy, the newspaper reported.
In their “urgent announcement,” posted in both Greek and English on July 27, the Hellenic Coast Guard declared that it “is issuing an urgent appeal to the public for information regarding the discovery of a deceased minor girl.”
The girl “had short brown hair, a slender build, and tanned skin,” and was wearing a “long-sleeved turquoise and fuchsia one-piece swimsuit,” the coast guard said. No current missing child reports match this description, according to Proto Thema.
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“We kindly request that any citizen with information regarding the child’s identity, her family, or any other details that could assist in the investigation of this incident, contact the A’ Port Authority of Faliro (Floisvos) immediately at 210-9829759, or the Saronikos Port Authority at 210-8946326,” the coast guard announcement said.
“Every piece of information, no matter how small it may seem, could prove crucial,” the announcement concluded. “Complete confidentiality is guaranteed.”
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