Authorities are currently investigating a tragic incident involving a climber, with a video capturing the final moments of the 61-year-old man now in their possession. This audio-visual material is considered the most credible evidence concerning the circumstances that led to his fall into a ravine, resulting in instant death.
Christos Stavrianidis appeared to be documenting the scenery in the Fraktos forest in Drama using his mobile phone camera. The footage includes the moment a bear appeared, marking the onset of the unfortunate events.
According to Christos Rammos, the leader of the OFKATH rescue team, the video begins with a distant view of the landscape, followed by the appearance of the bear. In the footage, Christos calls to his friend, asking him to bring their pepper spray. “You can then hear the spray being deployed, and witness the dog charging at the animal alongside the bear’s growls,” Rammos noted.
A key factor contributing to the tragic outcome seems to be the dog’s decision to attack the bear as it attempted to withdraw from the trail, prompting it to approach the 61-year-old once more. At that moment, the video abruptly stops, suggesting that the phone may have slipped from Christos’s grasp, leading him to fall into the ravine, a drop of 150 feet.
When OFKATH rescuers arrived, they found evidence of the bear’s presence, including footprints and broken branches; however, the animal had already left the area. Christos’s friend recounted the events leading to the search for Christos’s body.
On Wednesday afternoon, the poignant finale to this tragedy unfolded during the 61-year-old’s funeral at the Holy Metropolitan Church of Drama. The atmosphere was heavy with sorrow, particularly for his wife and three children, who struggled to comprehend the sudden loss of their beloved family member.
Forensic examinations confirmed that he died instantly upon falling into the ravine.
Reports indicate that the autopsy revealed no evidence of bear attack, suggesting that the climber’s fall was solely responsible for his demise.
Findings from the completed autopsy, released Wednesday morning, showed that the climber sustained severe injuries from the fall, including fractures to the spine and thoracic and cervical regions, a ruptured spinal cord, rib fractures, internal bleeding, and 2.5 liters of blood in his chest cavity.
No signs of an attack from the bear were observed, such as claw marks or bites.
One theory being examined is that the climber, upon spotting the bear, became frightened and slipped, falling into the ravine without any direct interaction with the animal, as per the forensic findings.
Meanwhile, Christos’s mobile phone has been recovered and will undergo analysis at ELS laboratories.
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