HE WAS ONLY 17… A FAMILY HOLIDAY IN GREECE ENDED IN UNIMAGINABLE TRAGEDY..! – FAMILY OF TALENTED IRISH STUDENT WHO WAS ELECTROCUTED WHILE TAKING A SHOWER COULD NOW TAKE LEGAL ACTION.
The family of an Irish student electrocuted while taking a shower on holiday in Greece could take legal action.
Alex McKee, 17, collapsed on Sunday last week on the Aegean Sea island of Kimolos.
Police said there had been a ‘wiring fault’ with the shower and that Alex, from Cork city, had died instantly.
But it has since emerged the mayor of Kimolos, Konstantinos Vendouris, signed off on the property’s electrical installation certificate in 2024 while working as an electrician.
Stelios Voudouris, the McKee family’s lawyer, said the mayor faced ‘huge criminal responsibility’ as he signalled Alex’s parents would press charges.
A fifth-year student at Terence MacSwiney Community College, Alex had been due to begin his final year of secondary school next month.
Earlier this year he won a national award for his science work after creating a breakthrough communication system called ‘Bumblebee’ for those with non-verbal autism as part of a Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition project.
Police said the McKee family were ‘much-loved’ on the island and visited regularly; Alex’s mother Iphigenia is from Kimolos.
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Alex McKee, a student from Cork, Ireland, died after being electrocuted in the shower while on a family holiday to a Greek island
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Police said there had been a ‘wiring fault’ in the house where the family was staying – its electrical safety certificate was signed by an electrician who is now the island’s mayor
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Earlier this year Alex won a national award for a science project which created a breakthrough system for those with non-verbal autism to communicate
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Officers asked an expert to inspect electrical wiring in the stone house, built more than 50 years ago, that the family rented regularly.
Colm Burke, the Fine Gael TD (member of the Irish parliament) for Cork North-Central, said it was ‘extremely sad’ that Alex had died ‘so tragically’.
‘He was a really talented young person with his whole life and a huge career ahead of him.
‘Earlier this year, he put a huge effort into getting to that stage in the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition and was rewarded for his efforts.’
It is understood Alex, whose father is Irish, was visiting the island with his mother and sister.
Former Lord Mayor of Cork and current Fianna Fail councillor Tony Fitzgerald said it was desperately upsetting to hear of the death of such a ‘vibrant and talented’ young man.
‘This is such a tragic accident. It is very sad for his family and his fellow students who were expecting to start the school year with him in a few weeks’ time.
‘President (of Ireland, Catherine) Connolly visited the school a few months ago to recognise the vision and achievements of students at the school. This is a huge shock. Every effort will be made to support the family going forward.’
Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs said earlier this week it was ‘aware of the case and is providing consular assistance to the family’.
Mr Vendouris’s office was contacted for comment.
