A relaxing day at the beach turned into a turmoil for a family in Epanomi, Thessaloniki, when a father was swept away by the sea while trying to reach his two children. The situation could have ended in tragedy — if not for the quick thinking and timely intervention of winter swimmer and paddleboarding enthusiast, Evangelos Papaioannou.
Speaking to Greek outlet Voria.gr, Papaioannou recounted how he was returning to shore on his stand-up paddleboard (SUP) when he heard desperate cries for help coming from the water. “I turned and saw two kids — a boy and a girl — shouting for help,” he said. As he approached, the children explained they had been swimming for some time and were unable to return to shore due to the strong current.
Although he couldn’t pull both children onto the board, he reassured them and guided them on how to swim with the current to get back safely. But then came an unexpected twist. “They told me to leave them and help their father instead,” he recalled. After confirming they were strong enough to manage on their own, Papaioannou scanned the area and spotted the father — briefly — as he sank and resurfaced amid choppy waves.
“He was in a semi-conscious state, panicking, unable to breathe,” Papaioannou explained. “He grabbed onto the board, but he was exhausted and slipping. I held his hands to keep him steady, talked to him to calm him down, and after a few minutes, he started breathing normally again.” Once the father regained his strength, Papaioannou helped him hold onto the board, and together, they made their way back to shore — safe and alive.
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