A beach in the Hersonissos region (file photo)
(Picture: Myhersonissos )A British man who was spotted lying motionless on a beach while on holiday in Crete has died, the foreign office has confirmed.
The unnamed 54-year-old was discovered on a reclined sun lounger on Saturday night by sunbathers who grew concerned, checked on him and found he was unconscious.
He was found on the Stalida beach in Hersonissos district - an area in the north of the Greek island popular with tourists.
The Creta Post, a local publication, quoted onlookers as saying the man was “enjoying the day”.
But he was later seen to be “motionless” which led to emergency services being called.
Paramedics tried to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation but, unable to revive him, they took the man to Heraklion University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Peak temperatures in Crete have been above 30 degrees for several days, although this week is set to be cooler at times than the UK.
Stalida is one of the most popular of the beaches in Crete and considered to be family friendly.
More than three million British people go away each year to Greece spending a total of more than £2.5million on holidays.
A foreign office statement added: “We are supporting the family of a British man who died in Crete.”
Also on Saturday, in northern Greece, a Ukrainian cargo plane carrying munitions from Serbia to Bangladesh crashed - killing all eight people on board.
Witnesses said the aircraft had come down in a ball of flames near the city of Kavala before exploding on impact in corn fields around midnight local time.
Earlier the pilot had reported engine trouble and had requested an emergency landing.
Drone images from the scene showed smouldering debris from the Antonov An-12 aircraft strewn across fields.
