Μake us preferred on Google A team of lifeguards battled strong waves and currents Monday morning to rescue a woman who was swept out to sea off the Kavos Apokoronou site, near Chania, in western Crete.
The woman, believed to be about 60, was carried away by the currents, prompting the immediate intervention of three lifeguards, as seen in video released by the local lifeguard team.
One of the rescuers said the woman had apparently failed to notice red warning flags positioned along the beach. She entered the water despite the hazardous conditions and soon found herself in difficulty.
The rescue was particularly notable because the lifeguards were not yet on duty. They happened to be at the beach about 15 minutes before the start of their morning shift when they saw the woman in trouble and intervened.
The incident is the latest in a series of rescues involving swimmers caught by strong currents in Greek waters this summer. In early July, a lifeguard on the Ionian Sea island of Kefalonia rescued seven swimmers, including two children, after waves and currents pulled them into deeper water at Avythos Beach. The rescue operation lasted about two hours and all seven were brought safely back to shore.
Other recent incidents have underscored the dangers faced by swimmers when sea conditions deteriorate. In June, a 70-year-old woman swimming near the Rio-Antirrio crossing was swept away from shore by strong currents and was rescued after ferry crew members spotted her in difficulty.
