A helicopter from the Hellenic Air Force saved two swimmers, one of whom was a rescuer, off the coast of the Greek island of Kefalonia on Friday. Intense winds and rough seas threatened the lives of the two swimmers, who struggled valiantly against the currents for six hours.
The 25-year-old had decided to swim in the waters off Myrtos Beach despite massive waves and winds reaching 7 on the Beaufort scale. When he soon became seasick and needed help, a rescuer, Ilias Papageorgopoulos, quickly came to his aid.
Papageorgopoulos quickly realized how dangerous the conditions were, according to reports in Greek media. Although more aid was needed, the extremely severe weather conditions made it impossible for other rescuers to get into the water to help the pair.
Completely dedicated to helping the swimmer, Papageorgopoulos stayed with the initial victim for six hours, trying to distract him from the horrific situation they both found themselves in by discussing the Greek soccer team Olympiakos.
After those harrowing six hours in the rough seas, a helicopter finally came on the scene to rescue the two men. A video of the dramatic rescue was captured.
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