At the age of about three years old, our founder Nikos had a life-altering experience: He was at a beach in Eressos (Lesvos, Greece), together with his family and some friends.
One day, he was sailing in an inflatable boat with his seven-year-old cousin from Australia. The two boys were permitted to be alone on the boat for a while since the sea was calm and Nikos’ cousin was considered to be old enough to help him in case something went wrong. Suddenly, a wind and wave rise caused the boat to turn upside down and Nikos fell into the sea.
Nikos has still very vivid memories of the incident: He was at the bottom of the sea with fish around him and a blurry vision of his surroundings. But he was not afraid at all. Instead, he felt a sense of immense peace. A random adult who was sitting on the beach witnessed the whole incident and jumped in the sea, pulling Nikos out of the water. It was a small miracle. Nikos was absolutely fine. This was an experience that could have devastating effects on the psyche of Nikos. Nonetheless, he did not develop any fear of water or any other psychological implications. Instead, his love for the sea grew and as he was growing older, he developed his passion for swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving, fishing and driving speed boats. Even nowadays, he continues to find great tranquility and enjoyment when he is around an aquatic environment.
There's always a reason why certain events occur in our lives. Nikos survival, that day at Eressos, was a small miracle. Another child in his place may have drowned. Was the whole experience a sign of destiny? Was it a sign that indicated the role that Nikos could play in preventing drowning for other people as well as teaching them to learn how to swim and enjoy safely the beauty of the ocean?
