A snapshot from the rescue operation on July 26, with Captain Spyros Kasimatis’ ship Glass Bottom approaching Limnionas Bay. The sea there is too shallow for coast guard vessels, however Captain Spyros managed to approach the shore and begin boarding the stranded. [Ioannis Agapiou]
“Glass Bottom… kaput.” At the end of July, Spyros Kasimatis or Captain Spyros, as he is better known on the island of Kythera, informed the public that his boat, with which he carries out his popular day trips to the rocky islet of Hytra, to Melidoni beach and elsewhere, was out of service. As he explained, the damage it suffered a few days earlier while rescuing people who had taken refuge in Limnionas due to a massive wildfire in the area was extensive and the required repairs very expensive. The risk of losing the season loomed large. But, sometimes, the message we throw in a bottle into the sea finds the right recipients.
By Thursday, August 21, more than 43,700 euros had been raised by 715 donors through an online appeal on the GoGetFunding platform, moving steadily toward the 75,000-euro goal. Titled “Help us support the captain of Kythera,” the appeal was started by a diverse group of people, ranging from friends and neighbors of Captain Spyros, to people he rescued with his boat. “It’s our turn to help Spyros,” the appeal reads. “Spyros is more than a captain. He is a man who has been sharing the magic of Kythera for over 30 years through his excursions and guided tours in Hytra. Above all, he is always been there when they need him – without hesitation, without ever asking for anything.”
July 26, the fire breaks out
139 people were trapped in Limnionas Bay, an isolated beach with no pier, no mobile signal and no way out. ‘Some called the authorities for help. Some called Captain Spyros’
So it was on July 26. The wildfires that had broken out on the island had forced many villages to evacuate. In Mylopotamos, 139 people – children, the elderly, families and pets – were trapped in Limnionas Bay, an isolated beach with no pier, no mobile signal and no way out. “Some called the authorities for help. Some called Captain Spyros,” the online appeal reads. They were sure he would come without a second thought. Spyros rushed to Limnionas with his boat, along with the coast guard and two smaller boats. The weather conditions were difficult. The sea was rough, the air was full of smoke, while the blaze was approaching the beach where people were gathered. The sea was too shallow for the coast guard boats, but Captain Spyros, thanks to his experience and composure, managed to approach the shore and begin boarding the stranded people.
“The Glass Bottom holds 45 passengers and I put 86 on board,” he recalls. “First women, children and elderly people, plus 10 dogs.” The people were afraid to be transferred to other boats that were offshore, so the boat was overloaded. “As soon as we left, there was so much smoke that I revved up the engines and both choked. One broke down on the spot during the rescue and the second one barely held up.”
The captain of the Kythera, however, did not stop. Despite the technical difficulties, he navigated through adverse conditions, safely transporting all the people to the seaside town of Kapsali. “Now I remember your composure at the moment of the engine breakdown,” recalls one of the survivors. “I was sitting right behind you. You didn’t speak at all, you didn’t even flinch. At that moment you understood very well what had happened, but for you, as always, the safety and composure of the people were important above all. Thank you is too little.”
The decommissioning
Spyros quickly realized that the damage exceeded 70,000 euros, not counting the lost profits. With the Glass Bottom decommissioned, from that day on he has been operating itineraries with a smaller boat, which of course cannot meet demand. “I have been working for 32 years, I have made dozens of rescues and I have not asked for anything. This time I asked, but I did not get a response. They said there are no funds,” says Captain Spyros. But that’s what friends are for. “Your donation will go directly to the repair of the Glass Bottom,” they write in the campaign, “so that Spyros can return to what he loves – and to what he does best.”
The captain cannot hide his satisfaction with the solidarity that the people of Kythera have shown in response to the call of his friends. “It turns out that if you are a good person, you see solidarity. It is very touching how many people have paid small amounts to help.”
Captain Spyros has returned to sea. With his smaller boat he has been trying to serve the public and make up for some of the economic loss he has incurred. The colors in Hytra seemed to be even more vibrant than usual, the waters even more transparent. “The people love you, with or without the Glass Bottom,” someone wrote under his post when he announced the decommissioning of his boat. How right he was.
