A 52-year-old Italian tourist suffered severe head trauma after being thrown to the ground by a powerful jet engine blast on the Greek island of Skiathos. The incident occurred along a narrow public perimeter road directly adjacent to the runway threshold at Skiathos Alexandros Papadiamantis Airport (JSI), an area world-renowned among aviation enthusiasts and plane spotters for its extraordinarily low-altitude takeoffs and landings.
According to local reports and state broadcaster ERT, the woman was standing near the perimeter wall close to Xanemos Beach when a departing passenger jet throttled up its engines for takeoff. The intense force of the turbine wash knocked her off her feet, causing her to fall heavily onto the hard surface and sustain serious head injuries. Emergency medical personnel were immediately dispatched to the scene, transporting her to Skiathos's Polyiatreio medical center. There, doctors performed a CT scan that confirmed brain bleeding and severe head trauma, prompting an urgent medical evacuation. Due to the critical nature of her injuries, emergency services airlifted her via helicopter to Volos General Hospital on the Greek mainland for specialized neurological treatment.
Often dubbed the "European St. Maarten," Skiathos Airport frequently attracts crowds of tourists who stand just meters away from the perimeter fence to capture dramatic photos and videos of low-flying commercial aircraft. Despite multiple hazard warnings, traffic signs, and previous safety incidents where onlookers were swept off their feet or blown into the water, aviation tourists routinely ignore the danger zones. This latest incident has once again reignited intense debate among Greek civil aviation authorities and local island officials regarding strict access limits along the runway perimeter road to prevent similar accidents during peak flight hours.
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