Fast-acting locals and the Greek Coast Guard have averted two near-tragedies off the island of Lemnos, as fierce winds swept a Bulgarian couple and a young child out to open sea in separate, harrowing incidents.
The gravest emergency unfolded off Parthenomytos, where powerful offshore gusts tore a Bulgarian couple on stand-up paddleboards away from shore.
A beachgoer spotted the pair drifting dangerously far out and raised the alarm.
The Coast Guard scrambled a search-and-rescue operation, joined by local fisherman Giannis Kalimanas, who sped to the scene by boat, while Aqua Sports owner Vasilis Stamateris launched a rescue dinghy of his own.
Stamateris found the woman first — separated from her husband, her paddleboard lost, treading water without a flotation device and already showing signs of hypothermia.
Officials said his swift intervention likely saved her life. Her husband, who had managed to cling to his board, was located soon after and towed to safety by Kalimanas.
Hours later, panic flared again at Platy beach, where a young child on an inflatable mattress was rapidly blown out to sea. T
he Coast Guard was alerted, but a civilian swimmer reached the child first, bringing them safely back to shore before marine units arrived.
Authorities said the back-to-back close calls were a stark reminder of how quickly conditions in the Aegean can turn — and how easily strong winds are underestimated until it's too late.