The President of Hungary, Tamas Sulyok, awarded Greek Anastasios Garipis and Spaniard Iset Segura for their courage, for rescuing a Hungarian father and his 10-year-old daughter who had been swept out at sea off Epanomi, Thessaloniki. The act of the two young people “constitutes a wonderful example of humanity, heroism and selflessness,” according to the Hungarian presidency.

Mr. Sulyok noted that the two young people are worthy of respect “first for the lives they saved but also because they showed their generation, our peoples and everyone what real humanity means,” as stated on the Hungarian presidency’s website. For his part, Anastasios sent the message that the sea taught him that freedom is mainly made of responsibility, the responsibility to get everyone to shore.

Iset stated that anyone would have done what they did, adding that there is always a point where our humanity can show itself. On Instagram stories she shared a photo from the award ceremony and wrote “proud.”

The Hungarian president, Mr. Sulyok, posted photos from the award ceremony of the two young people on Facebook thanking them.

The President of Hungary awarded 21-year-old Anastasios Garipis, who had rescued a father and daughter at sea – “An example of humanity and heroism”

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Stelios Gapiris, in a post, stated that Anastasios and Iset were awarded the gold medal of honor in a 3-hour ceremony at the presidential palace in Budapest, which began with the national anthem. “For the first time the highest distinction of excellence was awarded to a citizen of a foreign country, as a ‘reward for the heroism he demonstrated this summer, sending a message of hope and solidarity for the Europe of the future,’ as the President of the Republic stressed in his speech,” wrote Mr. Gapiris.

The event was attended by Greek ambassador Spyros Georgiles, Hungarian officials, representatives of the Spanish government and Spanish champion Iset Segura, according to Mr. Gapiris.

The thank you speech of Anastasis, as quoted by Stelios Gapiris:

“Honorable President of the Republic, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for this honor and this moment that I will remember forever. I never expected that a President of the Republic would award me a medal of honor because on one day of training in the sea, I did what is dictated by human nature itself: I helped two people in need.

For as long as I can remember, I have been in the sea and its freedom. The sea taught me that freedom is mainly made of responsibility, the responsibility to get everyone to shore. I accept this medal with gratitude, not only as a personal distinction, but as a distinction given to the humanity that unites us.”

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The rescue in Epanomi

It was this July when Stelios Gapiris posted the moment of the rescue of the tourist and his 10-year-old daughter on Facebook. In the video, you can see the efforts of the athletes to approach the father and daughter, who had been swept away by currents and strong winds and when they succeeded, they gave them a board to hold on to, until additional help arrived. Immediately the local hunting club of the area rushed in with a boat, which had been notified by the Coast Guard to intervene and subsequently Coast Guard officers, EKAV and police continued the chain of rescue of the two individuals, who reached land safely.

Anastasios Garipis has obtained several distinctions, such as in 2020 at the European Laser 4.7 Youth U18, where he had won another gold medal.

See photos from the award ceremony: