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Friday, August 31, 2012
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Looking good for DISY-DIKO alliance
Chelsea face Juve, Shakhtar in title defence 32
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted opens today centre
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Drowning couple saved by officers Four policemen risk their own lives in dangerous current
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GROUP of police officers from the drugs squad YKAN, risked their lives in the dangerous waters off the Tombs of the Kings Road in Paphos in the early hours of yesterday, to rescue a young couple who had gotten into trouble during a midnight swim. Three of the four officers ended up in hospital after the dramatic rescue when they found themselves in danger of drowning in the notorious currents in that area. Last night one of them was still in hospital. During the rescue, in which they used a rope and tyre, one of the officers stayed on the beach to give first aid to the young couple who were eventually dragged ashore. He also called an ambulance to the scene. The four officers were on a routine patrol in the area when they shone their vehicle’s lights on the water and saw a young woman in trouble. The 18-year-old Polish teen had gone swimming with a 21-year-old Romanian man but the officers did not realise immediately that there were two people in the water, both struggling against the strong current. “Using a tyre and some rope they managed to save them. The fourth YKAN officer who was on the beach gave first aid to the girl who had lost consciousness,” said
police spokesman Andreas Angelides. “They didn’t think for a moment of themselves. They only thought about saving the lives of two people.” He said the officers themselves had been in serious danger of drowning. The young couple were treated at the first aid department of Paphos hospital and released later yesterday. The four policemen were named by Antenna as Ioannis Christodoulou, Christos Antoniou, Panayiotis Demetriou and Andreas Ioakim. Christodoulou’s sister Andri told the television station that although she knows it’s a police officer’s job to save lives, she was still “very proud”. “They saved two people who might not be alive today if they had not acted immediately,” she said. ‘They just dived in...the current was so strong...” The officers were congratulated by the chief of police who sent a representative to Paphos hospital. Reports also said that Justice Minister Loucas Louca would present them with awards for bravery. Dozens of people have drowned on the same stretch of beach over the years. A Russian man drowned there just two weeks ago. Although the stretch in question has ample signs and red flags, people continue to swim there. As far back as 2010 there was talk of sealing off the beach completely but nothing was done.
A picture taken yesterday shows pictures and flowers laid down under the “Flame of Freedom” statue at the Pont de l’Alma underpass where Princess Diana died, on the eve of the 15th anniversary of her death (AFP)
100-year-old motorist knocks down nine children A 100-YEAR-old motorist lost control of his automobile as he backed out of his driveway into a crowd of children and parents outside an elementary school in Los Angeles, injuring nine children and two adults, authorities have said. Four of the children initially were listed in critical condition, though most were upgraded after they arrived at the hospital, and none appeared to have suffered life-threaten-
ing injuries, authorities said. The pedestrians were standing around a sidewalk vendor’s cart when the car rolled up over the curb in front of Main Street Elementary School in south Los Angeles as classes were letting out at about 2.30 pm local time, police said. The driver, who was detained for questioning on Wednesday and later released without being charged, told police his car experienced some kind of
mechanical failure, LA Police Department spokeswoman Karen Rayner said. “At this point, it doesn’t appear as though there are going to be any charges filed, but it’s an ongoing investigation,” she said. “We’ll definitely be looking at his competency to retain his driver’s licence.” The driver gave his name to local television station ABC7 as Preston Carter and said he turns 101 next month.