A Greek-Cypriot businessman, Dimis Mavropoulos, died after two boats ran aground and sank off Cape Greko in Cyprus on Saturday amid stormy weather and rough seas.
Mavropoulos, his partner and his daughter were aboard the boat, when the vessel was driven to the rocks by tall waves and crashed. The two women jumped in the water and were rescued by two helicopters. They were taken to the hospital, where they are being treated.
The body of the businessman was found unconscious by divers as part of a major search and rescue operation set up in the area. He was was found trapped in the boat debris and was transported by helicopter to the hospital, where the doctors pronounced him dead.
According to Cyprus‘ Joint Rescue and Coordination Centre (JRCC), the national search and rescue plan “Nearchos” was activated at around 2.30pm in the sea area off Cape Greko, aimed at rescuing people in danger on three boats.
The JRCC said that two of the three boats were completely destroyed after running aground on rocks amid sea turbulence caused by the ongoing storm, with a total of six people rescued during the operation.
Mavropoulos and his love for motorsports
Greek-Cypriot Dimis Mavropoulos was a well-known businessman in Limassol and all of Cyprus where he was born in 1949. He contributed greatly in the community and he was known for his love for motorsports.
As a businessman, he initially worked in the trade and exports of Cypriot agricultural products to the British market, continuing a family business tradition. Later in his life, he developed a broader business and investment activity, with a presence in the real estate sector, according to philenews.com.
His love for cars goes back a long way, as in the late 1960s he participated in car races, driving cars of different manufacturers and recording significant presences in the Cypriot rallies. In 1986, he won the Cyprus Rally Championship, while in the same year he finished in second place in the Rothmans International Cyprus Rally.
In 2014, he established the Cyprus Historic & Classic Motor Museum in Limassol, where he displayed his personal collection of cars. By now the museum has evolved into a place for preserving and promoting the history of motoring.
Dimis Mavropoulos was also an emblematic figure of the Limassol carnival. In 2014, he even embodied the carnival king, wearing the mantle of “Mnemonios the Great”.
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