Sailing coaches help rescue more than 130 people stranded by Greece wildfires

Sailing coaches at the world youth championships in Volos, Greece have been lauded for helping to rescue more than 130 people from wildfires in the region.

The coaches helped to evacuate residents stranded on a beach after fires blocked exits from the area to the mainland. Using motorised support boats, they also helped to rescue local wildlife, according to a statement from World Sailing on Monday.

As events concluded on Sunday at the ILCA 4 youth sailing event, coaches spotted the trapped people and travelled 10 miles to Nea Anchialos. As many as 60 boats were involved in the operation, with those rescued given bottles of drinking water and ferried back across the bay to Volos.

“When we got the call for help from the coast guard, I knew we had the right people and equipment for the job,” said Labis Tsoukalas, president of the Nautical Club of Volos and Argonauts. “It’s a credit to [the coaches] that we were able carry out the rescue successfully.”

David Graham, chief executive of World Sailing, said: “This is a truly outstanding example of the best qualities of our sport – resourcefulness, courage and a strong sense of responsibility for our wider coastal communities.

“Sailing is a global family, and we are proud to be able to help those in need. All of the coaches deserve the highest praise and, on behalf of World Sailing, I commend them for their actions. We all hope that the fires across Greece subside quickly, and the communities impacted remain safe.”

The blazes in Greece, fanned by rising temperatures and strong winds, have killed five people since they began on 17 July. Fires have destroyed homes, farms and factories and scorched swathes of forest land as temperatures have reached 47C in the Mediterranean country.