Driver Manolis Lathourakis describes the dramatic moments he experienced in Ferma, Ierapetra, when a large boulder broke loose from the hillside and came to rest right in front of his car.
“Imagine this: there were four or five cars full of tourists behind me, and they panicked when they saw me get out. They didn’t know what to do.”
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Speaking to ERTnews, he noted that he was saved thanks to his quick reflexes, as well as the shouts of people who noticed the rock breaking loose.
As he said, the boulder suddenly appeared in front of him, leaving him virtually no time to react other than to slam on the brakes immediately. “I suddenly saw it in front of me and ran into it. I hit it—of course, I was going slowly—but it was truly unbelievable,” he said.
Mr. Lathourakis explained that it was the shouts of people in the area that warned him about the rock, as everything happened in a matter of seconds.
“I was saved by the shouts of the people when they saw the rock coming loose from above. And at that moment, the moment I hit the brakes, the car came to a stop just in front of the boulder for a fraction of a second as it fell,” he described.
In fact, as he noted, four or five cars carrying tourists were following behind his vehicle, and they panicked when they realized what had happened.
“Imagine, there were four or five cars with tourists behind me, and they went crazy when they saw me get out. They didn’t know what to do,” he said.
He emphasized that he was driving at a low speed, which, he believed, proved to be a lifesaver. About 50 meters earlier, a landslide had occurred, which had already caused drivers to proceed with extra caution.
“We know that landslides happen in this area, and in fact, a landslide had occurred about 50 meters ahead just a few minutes earlier. A short while ago, we could see the rocks over there and were driving carefully, but we didn’t believe something like this could happen,” he said.
Manolis Lathourakis emphasized the size of the boulder, noting that its true dimensions aren’t captured in the photos.
“It’s a huge thing. A massive boulder—you can’t tell from the photo,” he noted.
Referring to his own ordeal, he spoke of luck, but also wanted to recall other tragic incidents that have occurred in the area due to severe weather conditions.
“I was lucky, of course. But I’d like to mention that a few years ago—three or four years ago—a young woman, if you recall, in Agia Fotia, a young woman from Slovenia, wasn’t so lucky,” he said, referring to the Agia Fotia tragedy.
He also mentioned an earlier incident, emphasizing the need for residents and visitors to the area to be more cautious in the face of severe weather conditions. “We must be careful about these floods and the weather; we must respect it. I don’t know what to say,” he remarked.
Source: In.gr
