57-year-old Stavros Andreou had an adventure that he will remember for the rest of his life. He happened to be passing through Domokos on his way to Athens, at the time when the extreme weather phenomena of Daniel bad weather hit the area.

The man was moving in the direction of Neos Monastirios towards Drougos, when without realizing it he found himself on a road that had been flooded at the height of the Domokos Station.

To free him, a titanic effort was made by the people of the 7th EMAK and by the operators of the machines of the Municipality of Domokos and the Region who led the rescuers close to the place where he was trapped.

His adventure ended almost midnight on Wednesday and after almost 8 hours of agony in the muddy water and under torrential rain.

“Many times I thought I wouldn’t make it,” Mr. Andreou tells LamiaReport, constantly repeating his thanks to everyone who participated in this really difficult mission.

Watch a video he shot himself of the situation around him, with no help in sight.

Mr. Andreou tells LamiaReport about the adventure he lived and fortunately had a happy ending.

“The road seemed open and I was actually feeling happy because I thought I had chosen the shortest route to Athens. Honestly, all of a sudden I lost the road and the car ended up in water with the currents sweeping me away“, the 57-year-old tells us and describes how he managed not to be dragged even deeper into the streams.

“With great effort I managed to open the driver’s door and get out, but the car began to tilt dangerously due to the rush of the water. With great effort I managed to open the other door as well and the car balanced but was still being swept away by the rushing torrents. It wasn’t until I managed and opened the trunk and the car was completely flooded that it managed to stop from the weight at one point and then I started calling for help…».

With unique contact with the rest of the world, Mr. Andreou started calling for help on his cell phone. He even gave the exact location through the relevant application that showed with relative accuracy exactly where he was.

But time was passing and the help was not enough, as the efforts of the people of the 7th EMAK to approach the spot twice were fruitless. Even the helicopter solution at the time when the bad weather Daniel was raging over northern Fthiotida was not possible, but he himself, as he tells us, did not want to endanger more lives!

“Strapped in by my car’s seat belt, I managed to grab hold of some pipes that were passing by and somehow secure the car with them. I said I will do everything to reach my family, my wife and my child, but when it started to get dark I said I won’t make it. Then I contacted my folks thinking I would never see them again».

All this time, in a day with 52 rescues in the area of ​​Domokos and Lamia alone, the Fire Department, from the Headquarters to the Fire Department Commands of Sterea and the 7th EMAK, were looking for ways to help another fellow human being who was in danger . Finally, thanks to the courage of three machine operators who carried the rescuers near the flooded road, hope returned to 57-year-old Stavros Andreou.

From Lamia on a loader, the Rushing Water Team of the 7th EMAK arrived, while from the opposite point with another project machine, the Commander of the Fire Services of the Region of Central Greece (and formerly the Commander of the 7th EMAK) Chief Fire Chief Simos Apostolou and the Commander of the 7th EMAK Deputy Chief Christos Ploumakis.

All of them trained in difficult conditions, but also with the right rescue equipment, brought the desired result. Mr. Andreou, after almost 8 hours of incredible adventure, felt the safety offered to him by a group of people (Firefighters and Operators) who have a mission to help and sometimes some of them to save lives.

“Thank you is minimal. Those people who put their lives in danger to save other people deserve respect above all else“, Mr. Andreou tells us excitedly, who wants to express his gratitude through LamiaReport both to his rescuers and to those who were interested in his adventure.

“I hope no other person experiences what I experienced“, concludes Mr. Andreou, and this is really our wish…