‘Captain Savior’ provides lifeline for remote Greek island of Thymaina

As they had done on many previous occasions, the men of Aghios Kyrikos left the warmth of the cafe and headed to the waterfront of the eastern Aegean island of Icaria's port capital to watch a fishing boat disappearing into the distance. It was a wintry day and the small wooden boat was sailing into choppy seas with winds of up to 7 Beaufort. "May he be safe," they whispered into the upturned collars of their coats. Fishermen themselves, they were all too aware of the dangers faced by Captain Lefteris Kottaras as he made his way back to Thymaina, one of the Fournoi islands, after transporting a patient to Icaria's hospital.

"Sure, the cost of the trip is covered by EKAB [the National First Aid Center], but here is a man who decided to travel in such weather to save another person," said Chrysostomos Fountoulis, one of the men gazing out to sea that day.

"And imagine...