The adventure of an 8-year-old boy who almost lost his life in the sea of Fourka, in Halkidiki, had a happy ending.

The alarm was raised on Monday when the boy’s father saw the 8-year-old boy floating face down in the sea. Terrified, he pulled him to shore, where he found he was unconscious. Fortunately, a private doctor who was nearby immediately started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the child.

At the same time, the ambulance was alerted, while the volunteer instructor Themelis Lerissiotis (member of the Greek Rescue Team), arrived at the scene within five minutes, equipped with oxygen and an automatic external defibrillator.

The experienced rescuer spoke to Thesstoday.gr about the first critical moments that determined the course of the child’s health. “I was at work in Fourka when citizens, panicked, informed me that a child was drowning. I rushed to the beach and found the child on the sand, while the doctor was already giving him first aid. He had swallowed a lot of water. In a few minutes I administered medical oxygen and shortly afterwards the ambulance arrived and picked him up, having regained consciousness. He was initially taken to the Cassandra Health Centre and then to the hospital on duty. In such cases, the first critical minutes are crucial.”

The president of the non-profit organization Kids Save Lives, Anastasis Stefanakis, stressed the importance of the immediate activation of the chain of survival: “It is vitally important in every emergency to have health professionals and trained citizens who know first aid nearby, as well as the availability of an external defibrillator. Time is our greatest enemy. We cannot and should not wait for the ambulance with our arms folded.”