ATHENS – Days after Greek tourism officials said the country was safe, a 25-year-old Portuguese visitor died during an attempting mugging when he fell from a popular rock site across from the Acropolis in an area overrun with pickpockets and thieves.

The man, whose name was not given, and a 23-year-old female companion were beset upon by three men, one waving a knife, similar to other attacks in the area that is usually overrun with tourists on the pedestrian walkway connecting the Acropolis Museum area to the Thissio and Monistariki tourist avenues of shops, restaurants and other attractions.

The incident happened Aug. 15 on Philopappou Hill, scene of many previous muggings and knife attacks and where there is usually not a strong police presence despite the constant threats and danger to tourists there.

The woman accompanying the victim was said to be so shocked she couldn’t provide full details about the incident, the business newspaper Naftemporiki said, although she said one of the attackers tried to grab her purse during the assault.

The victim fell to his death under still undetermined circumstances. Greek police had arrested a number of people in the area previously for similar attacks and said they detained eight people in this incident, all illegal immigrants, who were held only on charges of lacking travel documents and ordered to be deported but no one reported arrested for the mugging and death.