Hunting Season Opens - 1 Dead, 6 Injured

The hunting season has opened with one man dead and six injured, said police.

43-year-old Adamos Papantoniou, a tourist agent from Ayia Napa, reportedly lost his balance and fell into a 3-metre ravine whilst hunting in the Paphos area. His dead body was discovered by a friend, and a subsequent autopsy ruled out foul play.

Six more accidents occurred during the day, said investigators. At 6am, a 52-year-old in Peristerona was shot by another hunter. He was hospitalised and is out of danger. Then, at 8.39am, the second accident happened in the Paphos area in Inia village when a 77-year-old was injured by shotgun pellets. He was hurt in the face, and then taken to Polis Chrysochous hospital where he was treated with first aid and released. A third man fell into a 5-metre ravine and was hospitalised in Paphos General Hospital. He is also out of danger, said police.

Two other men - aged 46 and 65 - were shot by other hunters whilst hunting near Ayios Theodoros Soleas. However, their injuries were superficial and after receiving first aid they were released from hospital.

A 64-year-old man hunting near Moni Ayiou Georgiou Alamanou was not as lucky. He shot himself in the stomach after a fall, and was seriously injured. Kyriakos Andreou is in surgery for his injuries in Limassol General Hospital, said police.