Tourist found ‘fried’ but alive after 21 hours stranded at sea on inflatable sunbed

A tourist has been found ‘fried’ but alive after being stranded on an inflatable sunbed for 21 hours when it floated out to sea off Crete.

Medic Olga Kuldo, from Zelenograd, Russia, was swept out to sea at the resort of Rethymno on the north of the Greek island after being caught in a strong current. 

The 55-year-old floated through one night and was badly burnt by the hot sun the following day. 

Shewas only saved when a border patrol plane checking for illegal immigrants spotted her seven miles offshore.  

Russian tourist Olga Kuldo (pictured) has been found ‘fried’ but alive after being stranded on an inflatable sunbed for 21 hours when it floated out to sea off Crete

Medic Olga Kuldo, from Zelenograd, Russia, was swept out to sea at the resort of Rethymno on the north of the Greek island after being caught in a strong current

Medic Olga Kuldo, from Zelenograd, Russia, was swept out to sea at the resort of Rethymno on the north of the Greek island after being caught in a strong current

The 55-year-old floated through one night after being swept away from the resort (pictured) and was badly burnt by the hot sun the following day

The 55-year-old floated through one night after being swept away from the resort (pictured) and was badly burnt by the hot sun the following day

Kuldo needed hospital treatment for exposure and resulting heart problems. 

She had been staying with her husband Oleg, 59, and daughter Yulia, 28, at the resort.

Family members alerted rescuers after she failed to return to her hotel room after a late afternoon swim.

But it was 21 hours later that she was spotted from the air after a huge boat and jet ski search failed to locate her.

A rescue vessel brought her back to shore and she was rushed to hospital with ‘heart problems’ and ‘hypothermia’ after suffering from exposure and sun stroke.

Her relieved daughter Yulia, 28, a TV producer, posted on social media: ‘Miracles happen.’

She had been staying with her husband Oleg (centre), 59, and daughter Yulia (right), 28, at the resort

She had been staying with her husband Oleg (centre), 59, and daughter Yulia (right), 28, at the resort

Family members alerted rescuers after the medic (pictured) failed to return to her hotel room after a late afternoon swim.

Family members alerted rescuers after the medic (pictured) failed to return to her hotel room after a late afternoon swim.

She said her mother, an ultrasound diagnostics doctor, had been ‘burned to ashes’ by the daytime sun before the EU Frontex agency plane spotted her.

A local report on the island said she was on her subbed ‘when she was carried away to the open sea so she could not be seen from the beach’.

It is unclear if she fell asleep but reports say she was carried away by a ‘strong current’. 

Local reports described Olga as ‘lucky’ to survive.

The main damage to her health was from a cold night after she was wet for hours clinging to the air bed.

‘She stayed alive despite a cold night, strong wind, occasional rain and even a small thunder storm,’ reported neakriti.gr

‘Her body temperature was as low as 32 C degrees’ (normal is 37C) – causing hypothermia, it was reported.

‘The tears of her family turned to incredible happiness.’

Day time temperatures can reach 35C, while at night they can drop to 18C – not cold but Olga had been hours in the water during the long night. 



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