Greek firefighters killed in Crete wildfires honored as fisherman rescues trapped beachgoers

A three‑day memorial service was held at the Panagia Soumela monastery in Kastania, Amalthea, to honor the firefighters who lost their lives while battling the destructive wildfires that swept across Crete and the Peloponnese. The ceremony expressed gratitude to the fallen, offered prayers for their souls, and extended condolences to their families.

Separately, local fisherman Nikos Mathaiakis responded to an emergency call from the coast guard during the same fires. Braving winds of up to 160 km/h and thick smoke, he used his small boat “Agios Spyridon” to ferry around 30 trapped residents from the beach at Agios Pavlos in Rethymno to safety, making several trips despite the hazardous conditions.