Police probe into death of peace activist Natalie Christopher begins
A BRITISH Greek Cypriot woman, whose disappearance on an Aegean island sparked a massive search this week, died after falling into 20m-deep ravine.
The body of Natalie Christopher, 35, was discovered on Wednesday, two days after she was reported missing by her boyfriend.
The pair had been holidaying on the Greek island of Ikaria. Her partner raised the alarm after she failed to return from a morning run.
State coroner Nikos Karakoukis, who was flown in by helicopter, said it was likely that Dr Christopher died instantly, Greek media reported.
“There are many findings . . . and they are consistent with a fall from a height,” he was quoted as saying, adding that the evidence and an examination of the site pointed to an accident.
The cause of death would only be confirmed, however, following an autopsy and toxicology tests, Mr Karakoukis said.
In the meantime investigations as part of a criminal inquiry would still continue, Greek police spokesman Theodoros Chronopoulos said.
“We are aware of the coroner’s remarks, but we are still not in a position to entirely rule out everything,” he said.
“We are, for example, still examining the possibility of her having been pushed by someone.”
A person who took part in the rescue operation, Vaggelis Kriaras, told Greece’s Open TV that Dr Christopher may have fallen in her attempt to climb, or descend, a cliff-face.
“Unfortunately it appears she caught onto a rock which came away and crushed her,” he said, citing accounts from others involved in the search operation.