Greek fisherman joins rescuers off Libya

By YIANNIS PAPADOPOULOS, Photos: GIORGOS MOUTAFIS

Savvas Kourepinis cannot bear to see any more death and the smallest blip on his radar sets him racing off into the central Mediterranean. There's not a moment to spare. The nearest landing point on European territory is more than 100 nautical miles away. There are no islets or rocks for shipwrecked passengers to cling on to. They are surrounded by water, as far as the eye can see.

"You have to be fast," Kourepinis tells Kathimerini. "To reach the target you have to save, you head off at full throttle. The inflatable boat can jump two meters into the air; the engine is stressed to near-breaking point. If you don't reach them and their boat capsizes, then it's 'goodnight world.'"

Savvas Kourepinis steers one of the two inflatable Proactiva rescue boats off the coast of Libya.

The 32-year-old...