The Wreck Of The Demetrios II At Chlorakas, Paphos

The wreck of the Demetrios II - stranded on rocks just off Chlorakas, Paphos, Cyprus, 15 January 2008

As you travel along the main road from Paphos to Coral Bay, you can’t miss the shipwreck just off the coast at Chlorakas. 

Local knowledge of what it is and how it comes to be there is pretty thin.  So for the curious, here’s the story.

The wreck is the Demetrios II,  a cargo ship built in 1964 by J J Sietas KG at their shipbuilding yard in Hamburg-Neuenfelder, Germany.

The Honduran-flagged M/V Demetrios II ran aground off Paphos Lighthouse on 23 March 1998 in heavy seas during a voyage from Greece to Syria with a cargo of timber.

At the time of the accident, the ship had eight crew members – four Greeks, two Pakistanis and two Syrians. The crew were rescued and airlifted to the safety of Paphos by a British Military Helicopter.

It was subsequently confirmed in the Lloyd’s List the competency certificates for the Greek Captain and the Pakistani first officer were forgeries.

The wreck remains on the rocks today, gradually rusting away.  The story goes it’d cost more to salvage it than it’s worth, so it’s likely to stay there for a long time to come.

Update

There’s now talk of sinking the Demetrios II and turning it into a diving attraction.  Read this article in the Cyprus Mail.