A British family who arrived in Rhodes unaware their hotel had been evacuated say a local family's hospitality has 'restored their faith in human kindness'. Caryn Savazzi, from South Wales, landed on Saturday with her husband and two sons, only to find their hotel already emptied due to wildfires spreading across the island.
The family were directed to a school shelter, where a volunteer offered them a home with a local couple. 'The wife was still up at 2.30am, making up the sofa for us,' Ms Savazzi told the BBC. The couple, in their early 50s, are housing three families from the UK, Germany and Poland, while their cousins next door host another English family. 'Five nationalities have come together to help each other out,' she added.
Around 19,000 people have been evacuated from Rhodes as fires, fanned by strong winds since Tuesday, moved from the island's centre towards eastern tourist resorts. Many holidaymakers ended up sleeping on mattresses in sports halls and conference rooms. Some locals have also offered cuddles and supplies to distressed tourists arriving on flights that should never have taken off.
Jet2 has cancelled five flights to Rhodes, and Tui has cancelled all flights until Wednesday. EasyJet is operating extra flights to bring Britons home, with 421 seats on Monday and another on Tuesday. Thomas Cook is offering refunds for customers due to travel to affected areas on Tuesday.
Leigh Mitchell from Birmingham, another evacuee, told the BBC: 'Luckily we met a local Greek man and we are now at his house about to eat octopus and rice. If it wasn't for him I really don't know what we would have done.' Ms Savazzi concluded: 'We consider ourselves to be the lucky ones.'
