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19 Akdeniz University students who set out for a weekend Stand Up Paddle (SUP) session off Konyaalti Beach were carried roughly two nautical miles offshore on Sunday morning when winds strengthened and were later rescued by sea police and the coast guard.
Responders found the group holding on to each other’s boards to stay together as the conditions worsened.
The students entered the water early near Muratpasa’s Genclik neighborhood for a group activity.
As the wind rose to 31 knots—a speed that made paddling back unsafe—they drifted farther out and could not reach shore despite repeated attempts.
For international readers: SUP is a flat-water sport where participants stand on a large board and propel themselves with a single paddle. A knot is a nautical speed unit equal to one nautical mile per hour.
Bystanders and members of the group alerted the 112 Emergency Call Center, prompting Antalya Police’s Marine Port Branch and the Coast Guard Group Command to deploy rescue boats to the reported coordinates.
Crews took 10 men and nine women on board and provided warm clothing, as some had fallen into the water and many were visibly shaken. The boats returned to Antalya Marina, where hot drinks were served.
Authorities drew up reports and imposed penalties on the students and on the rental provider under an Antalya Governorship circular dated June 30, 2025, which requires operators to check sea and weather conditions and prohibits activities above Force 3 on the Beaufort scale (approximately 7–12 knots / 12–19 kilometers/hour).
Personal items left on Konyaalti Beach were collected under police and coast guard supervision and handed back at the marina.
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