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The ill-fated yacht that became caught in bad weather off the coast of Paphos

A MARINE POLICE officer died yesterday during an operation to rescue a Russian couple with two children, whose sailboat had capsized in rough seas off the Paphos coast.
The 30-year-old woman was still missing last night as police called off a search and rescue that was set to resume at dawn today.
Officer Andreas Georgiou, 29, died during a 3.30am rescue effort when the inflatable boat he was in with a colleague was hit by high waves and overturned as they tried to approach the stricken yacht near the entrance of the Paphos harbour.
“It is a very bad day for the police force,” spokesman Michalis Katsounotos said. “We are mourning the loss of an exceptional colleague who showed altruism and self-sacrifice.”
The second officer survived by holding on to the inflatable’s engine until he was rescued by a helicopter.
The Russians’ yacht, which sailed from Finike on Turkey’s southern coast three days ago, was trying to navigate its way into the harbour in rough seas and strong winds when it was hit by a huge wave and capsized, hurling Jaroslav Zavarzin, 31, and his wife Ludmilla into the sea.
Their two children, 10-month-old Sofia and three-year-old Alexei, were in the boat’s cabin at the time and were rescued later when the boat washed ashore.
Speaking to reporters from his hospital bed, Zavarzin said: “I found myself in the water, and immediately started to swim towards the shore so that I could call for help. As I understand it, my wife, who was asleep on board with our two children, also fell in the water.”
Zavarzin said his wife could not swim well due to a recent shoulder injury, so could have drowned soon afterwards.
He swam to the shore and alerted the authorities, who scrambled the inflatable boat to rescue them.
One of the officers was found just before 6.00am and was airlifted to the Paphos hospital.
The helicopter returned soon afterwards and found Georgiou floating unconscious. He was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Deputy Director of Paphos Hospital Lenia Anastasi said that the Russian father, his two children and the second officer were in shock and suffering from mild hypothermia but were otherwise unhurt.
Police launched a sea, air and land search and rescue operation to locate the missing mother but to no avail.
Reports said - but police would not immediately confirm – that the wife’s shoes and jacket had been washed ashore around four kilometres west of the wreckage, near Paphos airport.
Search and rescue efforts, which have so far included the efforts of 20 members of the Civil Defence, will resume today at first light.
Georgiou who was married, was described by Katsounotos as an “exceptional member of the force who distinguished himself in the field of search and rescue.”
The police spokesman denied charges that the two officers were ill-equipped heading into their mission.
Both officers “had the necessary lifejackets and the boat was fully equipped,” Katsounotos said.
He also said that in the course of investigating the incident, police will also look into claims from Georgiou’s family that the two men came back after being unable to approach the stricken vessel due to rough seas, but were ordered back out to try again “without putting their lives in danger”.
Katsounotos said bigger boats are available but as the yacht was close to the wave breakers only an inflatable could approach for search and rescue.
Paphos Mayor Savvas Vergas said there are problems at the harbour’s entrance and when there are big waves there are big dangers.
Georgiou’s funeral will take place at 2.00pm today at Ayios Nicolaos church in Kato Polemidia.