For the titanic efforts they put in during migrant rescue operations on Cythera and Lesbos they performed in cathimerini.gr, two rescuers from the Greek rescue team.

Their descriptions are shocking and fully reflect the enormous hardships they faced due to the strong winds blowing at the crash sites.

Ms. Eleni Stathis, Head of the Greek Rescue Squad of the Kythira Branch, spoke to K about one of the most difficult missions she has ever been involved in.

“We were informed of a shipwreck in the Diakofti area of ​​Kythira Island and we immediately mobilized. The pictures we encountered when we arrived were horrendous. The area was blowing winds of 8 and 9 on the Beaufort scale, and the waves were ferocious. I tried to look around the crash site and saw a lot of people climbing up the rocks trying to escape. The sight was shocking. People were screaming, asking for help, screams were heard. People tried to swim, but the conditions were very difficult,” he said.

The terrain, which did not allow access, made the operation almost impossible. For Mrs. Stathis, this was one of the most difficult missions she has ever been on. “Firstly, there was no access to people from anywhere and help them. I had to work from a height and try to lift them with ropes. Secondly, it was very windy, which prevented us from descending. Thirdly, the waves were huge. We could lose them all at any moment. The men clung to the rocks with all their remaining strength, but they were in danger of being swept away by the sea. We understood that we had to act with great speed in all possible ways,” he added.

“When you see that what you are doing is working, you don’t count on anything”

Referring to how they finally managed to get the migrants ashore, Ms Stathis describes the agonizing effort: “We were on a rock right above the people. We managed to gain a foothold in several fire brigade cars, which drove up to the place and began to pull people with a rope that was then given to us. We threw them a rope 20 meters long with loops designed to hook and pull them. Thus, we initially managed to withdraw almost half of them. Along the way, a private person brought a large truck crane, and we were now unloading a bag of heavy materials from those transporting cement. So now we could lift people from two points. We acted very quickly and managed to withdraw 80 people in 4 hours. The panic was very great, especially among people who were in danger. They were shaken and hypothermic after so many hours at sea. Also, the tension on the part of the rescuers was great, but when you see that what you are doing is working, you don’t count on anything. We said, let’s have one more, let’s have one more. For me, what happened under such circumstances was a feat.”

“Very difficult conditions – he had 8 full Beauforts”

For her part, Ms. Lydia Aristidou, rescue volunteer of the Greek Rescue Team in Lesbos, described: performance at kathimerini.grthe efforts of the missing persons search team at the crash site.

“I participated with the team in the hiking section. When the shipwreck happened, we received a signal from the coast guard, arrived at the scene and began to comb the area for any signs that could lead us to people who had fallen into the sea. The strong winds blowing in the area made the situation very difficult. We are talking about 8 full Beauforts. Since the area is rocky, it is very difficult to distinguish if there is a person on the rocks, or to find clothes or bags that could lead to them,” he said.

Speaking of the survivors, Ms. Aristidou explained how they managed to protect themselves from the strong wind.

“I saw some people who had already been saved. They were in shock, they had minor injuries and abrasions, because they climbed the hill to protect themselves from the wind as much as possible. The people were amazed. When 40 or 50 people get into a boat that can hold 10 people, it is logical that it starts to take on water and the wind drives it towards the rocks. We traveled for many kilometers, scanning the entire area in search of the missing, and the conditions were especially difficult,” he concluded.