Irish teenager's electrocution death in Greek shower prompts calls for safety checks
A 17-year-old Irish boy died after being electrocuted while showering on the Greek island of Kimolos, prompting calls for stricter safety checks on appliances in tourist accommodation.
An Irish teenager, Alex McKee, 17, from Cork, died on 9 August after being electrocuted while taking a shower in a holiday home on the Greek island of Kimolos. The bathroom, described as outdoor and rudimentary, was where the boy is believed to have died instantly upon picking up the showerhead. A local doctor, Agapitos Xanthis, told Greek television that the boy's mother had felt a similar electric surge when she went to call him, and was advised to switch off the mains immediately.
The family had been on the island for barely three days. Kimolos is the birthplace of McKee's mother, Iphigenia, and the family regularly stayed there in the same stone house, which is more than 50 years old.
Investigation focuses on wiring
Greek police said the inquiry is focused on the property's water heater and a possible wiring fault. The house has been cordoned off, and an independent expert has been requested to inspect the electrical installation. It is suspected the fusebox lacked a safety valve. The teenager's body was taken to the mainland, where a postmortem at a hospital in Piraeus confirmed electrocution as the cause of death.
McKee, a fifth-year student in Cork, had earned recognition in Ireland, including at the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, for developing a communication system for people with nonverbal autism together with two classmates. Colm Burke, a Fine Gael politician representing Cork North-Central, paid tribute to the teenager's talent and achievements.
Spotlight on rental accommodation safety
The tragedy has drawn attention to electrical safety standards in seasonal holiday rentals across the Greek islands, in a country heavily reliant on tourism. Kimolos's mayor, Konstantinos Vendouris, expressed deep shock, saying the death had plunged the island of fewer than 1,000 residents into mourning. It later emerged that Vendouris, a professional electrician, had signed off on the property's electrical installation certificate in 2024 — a document police are also now investigating. The family's lawyer said charges would be pursued, citing the mayor's potential criminal responsibility.
