The small community of Tsakistra remains devastated following the tragic outcome of the search for Erato Athanasiou, which lasted 11 days and involved hundreds of volunteers, police officers, firefighters, forest firefighters and other services.
Massive search operation
Father Christodoulos, who knew Athanasiou well and was also related to her family, described the dramatic days that followed her disappearance from her home.
He said she regularly went for walks in the area, mainly towards Prophet Elias, and would sometimes follow the same routes twice a day.
On the day she disappeared, however, she never returned.
Her husband began searching for her that same evening, while local residents and volunteers quickly joined the effort.
“Some days there were as many as 500 people up here,” Father Christodoulos said, describing the scale of the operation.
Volunteers and members of the emergency services searched throughout the day and night, with helicopters, drones and search dogs also deployed.
Difficult terrain hampered searches
Searches initially focused around the village and along the routes Athanasiou was known to take.
Despite extensive searches by land and air, the location where her body was eventually found proved particularly difficult to detect.
Father Christodoulos said the body was located in an area that was difficult to see from above, particularly if covered by vegetation or trees.
The body was found on a dead-end road after Department of Forests officials went to the area to inspect water sources.
He added that, based on what he knew, there were no obvious signs of an attack by wild animals. The exact circumstances and cause of death were expected to be determined by the authorities and forensic pathologists.
Volunteers searched through the night
Volunteer Elena Georgallidou described the first hours of the search operation.
Her team was among the first to respond after receiving a call from the Kambos Police Station asking for assistance.
Because she comes from the nearby village of Kambos, she immediately contacted members of her team and arrived in Tsakistra shortly after 8pm.
At the time, a search coordination centre had not yet been established.
The first information suggested that Athanasiou may have headed towards Prophet Elias, where she regularly went walking. Georgallidou immediately began searching in that direction.
Once the coordination centre was established and additional team members arrived, the search continued under police direction.
Volunteers and emergency services searched until around 6am, covering gardens, paths and wooded areas across the community.
Teams also ventured well beyond the village into difficult forest terrain before returning to the coordination centre for further instructions.
Community united in search
Georgallidou said the area’s mountainous terrain was one of the main factors complicating the search.
The region includes ravines, trails and areas away from the main roads, requiring considerable experience to navigate safely.
Despite the tragic outcome, she highlighted the community’s overwhelming response.
She said it was impossible to know the exact number of people who took part overall, as police recorded the groups and individuals involved each day.
“It was very moving to see how many people mobilised,” she said.
She also described receiving dozens of messages and phone calls from members of the public who were concerned about Athanasiou’s fate and hoped she would be found alive.
The disappearance and tragic outcome have left Tsakistra in mourning. According to Father Christodoulos, Athanasiou was known throughout the small community, whose residents mobilised from the very beginning with every available resource in the hope of finding her.
Also read: Emotional tribute to Erato Athanasiou after 11-day search
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