Shipwreck rescuer in widely used image honored in Greece

ATHENS, Greece – Greece’s Defence Ministry has honoured an army sergeant shown in photographs and video footage around the world rescuing an Eritrean asylum seeker following a deadly shipwreck on the island of Rhodes.

Sgt. Antonis Deligiorgis was awarded the Cross of Excellency by Defence Minister Panos Kammenos at an Athens ceremony Monday for his role in rescuing passengers from a ship carrying migrants from Turkey that sank after crashing into rocks a week ago.

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READ MORE: Who are the migrants trying to get to Europe? How many die trying?

Deligiogis was photographed assisting Eritrean survivor Wegasi Nebiat, in an image used on front pages of leading world newspapers.

Three people died in the shipwreck, while 90 others from Syria and Eritrea were rescued.