Divers brave severe weather to retrieve the Cross during Epiphany celebration in Thessaloniki (vid)

The cross was thrown in the waters of Thermaikos bay during celebrations for the Epiphany where a platform had already been set up. According to SKAI, 20 adventurous souls dove to catch the cross and swam in spite of the cold weather that was caused by the adverse weather that has swept the country.

Crowds watched the blessing of the waters on Epiphany day and watched the swimmers catch the cross.

According to thestival.gr, 36-year-old, Michalis Apostolidis, dived for the second consecutive year, who dived for the 16th year in a row.

Rescuers were next to the divers as the cold was severe.

Earlier, the Divine Liturgy was held in the Holy Metropolis in the presence of officials and a multitude of people.

It should be noted that the waters of the port of Piraeus were not sanctified due to the extraordinary report of severe weather events issued by the National Meteorological Service.