Lesvos mayor grants prize money to two fishermen who saved hundreds at sea
Authorities on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos have announced that the money from the 2016 Olof Palme prize awarded to its mayor and his counterpart in Lampedusa in Italy, will be used to help two heroic fishermen whose boats sank under the weight of last week’s heavy snowfall.
Fishermen Kostas Pinteris and Thanassis Marmarinos are known around the world for having saved hundreds of refugees and migrants from drowning in the Aegean.
“The prize money belongs to the citizens of Lesvos,” said Lesvos Mayor Spyros Galinos, who received the award on Wednesday, adding that the humanity displayed by the two men set an example to the entire world.
The two fisherman, he said, could not make a living after their boats sank. He added that the damages will be assessed once access to the harbor, which was snowed in, is restored.
The Olof Palme prize was awarded to the Greek and Italian mayors for their efforts in helping thousands of refugees and migrants landing on their shores.
