Fortitudo et humanitas – Courage and humanity

President Tamás Sulyok honoured two extraordinary, courageous and respectable young people with the Presidential Gold Medal of Merit.

This summer, while surfing in the Aegean Sea, Iset Segura of Spain and Anastasios Gkaripis of Greece spotted a Hungarian girl and her father drifting kilometres from the shore. Without hesitation, they rushed to their aid, saving their lives.

According to the Head of State, their actions are a great example of humanity, heroism and selflessness.

President Sulyok said that Iset Segura and Anastasios Gkaripis deserve our gratitude and respect, first and foremost for saving two lives, but also for showing our generation, our nations and all of us what true humanity means.

Iset Segura said that anyone would have done what they did, adding that even though people rush past each other, there is always a point when our humanity can shine through.

Anastasios Gkaripis emphasized that the sea taught him that freedom also means responsibility, the responsibility to ensure that everyone reaches the shore safely.