Found Deceased Greece - Dr. Natalie Christopher, 34, British, missing after jog, Ikaria, 5 August 2019

[TTF14]

I think it's just how she was. Her last FB post from Sunday mentions climbing.

Natalie Christopher

Saying that, I hope it's thoroughly investigated to make sure it was accidental.

And that she was the one who actually made that post.

 

[Teche]

Unfortunately, As an American, I find it extremely difficult to follow along because of translation to English. I appreciate those WS members assisting with the subtle nuances in the news articles.

 

[Tortoise]

Asked whether Dr Christopher may have been pushed police spokesman Theodoros Chronopoulos said last night it was too early to tell.

'We have to await the report from the coroner, which will take two to three days, in order to have the answers. This is crucial. At this point we don't know how she died,' he told The Daily Telegraph.

Investigations are centred around whether she slipped into the ravine - which is barely visible from the footpath - or if she was attempting an impromptu climb of the terrain without equipment.

Natalie Christopher's heartbroken boyfriend thanks rescuers who searched for missing Briton | Daily Mail Online

Coroner Nikos Karakoukis speaks with police officers this morning near the area where Dr Christopher was found

 

[Patrick Jane]

Όπως δήλωσε ο κ. Καρακούκης, «μετά την αυτοψία στο χώρο όπου βρίσκεται η σορός και της σορού μακροσκοπικά όλη η κατάσταση συνάδει με πτώση από ύψος» και ότι «ο θάνατος ήταν ακαριαίος».

As declared by (the coroner) Karakoukis, "after the autopsy of the corpse macroscopically* and the area where the corpse was found, all of the circumstances are consistent with a fall from a (high) elevation" and that "Death was instantaneous."

*macroscopic: visible to the naked eye; not microscopic.

(my translation only)

Ιατροδικαστής: Από πτώση ο θάνατος της Νάταλι Κρίστοφερ | Kathimerini

 

[Rosegold68]

so she fell...an accident

 

[Patrick Jane]

so she fell...an accident

The scene is consistent with a fall. Whether it was an accident or not, hasn't yet been determined.

 

[CityDancer]

Just imagine how her boyfriend must be feeling, if they did fight the night before and did sleep separately cause of it. And what a sad, injust ending to her life! I hate moralizing at moments like these but can't help to feel anger at how knowledgeable, intelligent people take unnecessary, stupid risks that end up harming them. We've all done it at some point or other. Now this girl is dead at 34 because of it.. RIP

ETA: I apologize if this comes across as moralizing on my part. I'm just really saddened because I feel this tragedy could have been avoided if she hadn't gone climbing in an unfamiliar place with nobody with her. It also makes me think how much more careful we all should be. We're not immortal.

 

[TTF14]

I wonder why the boyfriend hasn't been named.

 

[Tortoise]

Rescuers still at the scene also described how the academic's 38-year-old boyfriend, who has only been identified by his first name, Kyriakos, was restrained by officers as he cried out in anguish for Dr Christopher when she was found yesterday evening.

[...]

The coroner, who flew to the island from Athens, said his preliminary examination led him to believe the beloved astrophysicists death was 'almost certainly an accident'.

He said: 'There was a large pool of blood under her head. She has a very serious head injury. Everything shows that death came from a fall from a height. '

He said a further examination of the body and autopsy would reveal the exact circumstances of her death.

(more to read at link - can only quote 10% per rules)

British astrophysicist Natalie Christopher died instantly when she fell, coroner reveals | Daily Mail Online

 

[Patrick Jane]

I wonder why the boyfriend hasn't been named.

There's no reason for him to be named.

And I believe he has protections from being named under Greek privacy/defamation laws.

 

[Lyndaloo]

If as stated Natalie’s death was instantaneous, how could her phone have been turned on again if it was in her possession?
R.I.P Natalie, another young life lost too soon

 

[Tortoise]

Paraphrasing other things mentioned in the article -

they found a boulder on top of her hip, her phone was in a pouch around her waist, the locals don't climb because they know the rocks are unsafe after much rain.

 

[Patrick Jane]

If as stated Natalie’s death was instantaneous, how could her phone have been turned on again if it was in her possession?
R.I.P Natalie, another young life lost too soon

According to reports posted earlier in the thread, LE was saying they were thinking that her phone might have been on the whole time, which would possibly mean all those on/off/on again reports were inaccurate, and instead it would most likely be explained as phone on, but intermittent service, due to signal/loss-of-signal issues. JMO

 

[indicolite22]

ETA: I apologize if this comes across as moralizing on my part. I'm just really saddened because I feel this tragedy could have been avoided if she hadn't gone climbing in an unfamiliar place with nobody with her. It also makes me think how much more careful we all should be. We're not immortal.

Even if there was someone with her, it would not have helped if she/they fell.

 

[Skigh]

Such a tragic loss of a woman who gave so much and still had so much to give.I am hoping the reports of an instantaneous death are correct as it would have been unbearable to hear she could have been saved if found earlier and to think she might have been trying to phone for help.

 

[Patrick Jane]

Paraphrasing other things mentioned in the article -

they found a boulder on top of her hip, her phone was in a pouch around her waist, the locals don't climb because they know the rocks are unsafe after much rain.

But he said lots of rain over the winter months meant that rocks were unstable.

He said: 'The rocks in the area are very loose after we had a bad winter with lots of rain. They are not stable.

'All the local people know this and do not attempt to climb them.

British astrophysicist Natalie Christopher died instantly when she fell, coroner reveals | Daily Mail Online

The victim was a resident of Cyprus, so she would have presumably known about the very heavy rainfalls that fell over the winter, and hit especially hard the southern islands of Greece, but also to Cyprus. The island of Crete, for example, had extensive damage.

This article explains how much rainfall fell on Cyprus:

Cyprus sees fourth heaviest rainy season since 1901 - Cyprus Mail

So it'd be a little surprising to me to believe that a woman as incredibly intelligent as the victim, wouldn't have been aware of the heavy rainfalls during the winter (since she lived in Cyprus) and as a rock-climber wouldn't have known of the dangers which would have been created for rock-climbers by such a rainy winter. Perhaps she was aware of the risk, but underestimated the severity of the risk? JMO

 

[Skigh]

Perhaps in the heat of summer she forgot about the earlier bad weather.

 

[CityDancer]

But he said lots of rain over the winter months meant that rocks were unstable.

He said: 'The rocks in the area are very loose after we had a bad winter with lots of rain. They are not stable.

'All the local people know this and do not attempt to climb them.

British astrophysicist Natalie Christopher died instantly when she fell, coroner reveals | Daily Mail Online

The victim was a resident of Cyprus, so she would have presumably known about the very heavy rainfalls that fell over the winter, and hit especially hard the southern islands of Greece, but also to Cyprus. The island of Crete, for example, had extensive damage.

This article explains how much rainfall fell on Cyprus:

Cyprus sees fourth heaviest rainy season since 1901 - Cyprus Mail

So it'd be a little surprising to me to believe that a woman as incredibly intelligent as the victim, wouldn't have been aware of the heavy rainfalls during the winter (since she lived in Cyprus) and as a rock-climber wouldn't have known of the dangers which would have been created for rock-climbers by such a rainy winter. Perhaps she was aware of the risk, but underestimated the severity of the risk? JMO

Well, Cyprus is not really that close to Ikaria if you look at the map of Europe, so she probably didn't make the connection. Plus I believe she lived in London? Maybe if she'd told the hotel owner or someone local about her intention to go climbing they'd have advised her not to? Hard to speculate.

 

[Patrick Jane]

Well, Cyprus is not really that close to Ikaria if you look at the map of Europe, so she probably didn't make the connection. Plus I believe she lived in London? Maybe if she'd told the hotel owner or someone local about her intention to go climbing they'd have advised her not to? Hard to speculate.

She moved to Nicosia on Cyprus from London around 11 years ago.

London scientist 'crushed by large rocks after falling into ravine'

Crete isn't close to Cyprus either, but the damage to Crete was widely reported in Greek media, even in English-language Greek media.

Rain causes damage in Crete, power cuts in Attica | Kathimerini

All I'm saying is you'd think she would have been well aware of how rainy it was in Greece this past winter.

ETA: and here's a sample from non-Greek media/MSM:

Regional governor Stavros Arnaoutakis said damage could reach dozens of millions of euros.

“It’s been raining for six days non-stop, I mean (a) storm, not just rain, an incredible amount of water,” said Nikos Lagoudakis, a senior fire brigade official.

Rains, gales pound Greek island of Crete, one man dead - Reuters

 

[LemonMint]

R.I.P. Natalie. My warmest condolences to her partner, family & friends.

Sometimes things just do happen: a possible fight during the previous evening (anyone being in a relationship knows that those things do happen). Nose bleeding though? Maybe just another coincidence.