The final farewell was said a little while ago by the relatives and friends of 27-year-old Pericles Stefanidis, who lost his life in Karystos together with pilot Christos Moulas, when the Canadair CL 215 crashed during their attempt to put out the fire in Platanistos.

A crowd of people, wearing black clothes and holding white flowers, entered the church to bid farewell to the 27-year-old, who grew up in Thessaloniki, but came from Kilkis.

The funeral service was held at the Holy Church of Agios Georgios Palaios Agioneri. The honorary detachment of the Hellenic Air Force attended the funeral with the coffin covered by the Greek flag.

The atmosphere was weighty because of the loss of the young aviator, while three days of mourning were declared in the Hellenic Armed Forces.

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Chania has also been plunged into mourning after the tragic accident with the Canadair.

Christos Moulas will be buried tomorrow, Friday, July 28, in Gavalochori, Apokoronas, Chania. This is the village where he spent his childhood and where his father’s house and the family business are located.

His relatives, friends, colleagues from the Hellenic Air Force, and civilians will bid the last farewell to the pilot in the Holy Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus.

At this point, it should be pointed out that Christos Moulas would become a father in a few months as his wife is four months pregnant. Therefore, the Parliament decided to adopt the unborn child of the unfortunate pilot, according to the announcement of President Konstantinos Tasoulas.

Today, immediately after today’s ceremony of raising the flag to half-mast due to the mourning of the Hellenic Armed Forces for the loss of the lives of the two operators and the memorial service for the repose of their souls, which was held in the Holy Church of Panagia in the “Papagou” military camp, the Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, announced the awarding of the Air Marshal insignia to the operators of the CL-215 firefighting aircraft, Flight Lieutenant Christos Moulas, and Pilot Officer Periklis Stefanidis.

The relevant decision was made by the Council of Chiefs of General Staff, following a proposal by the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Konstantinos Floros.

Mr. Dendias once again expressed his condolences to the families and colleagues of the fallen on behalf of the government and all Greeks.

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It is recalled that the accident took place at noon last Wednesday. The Canadair of the 355th Tactical Transport Squadron of the 112th Combat Wing attempted to extinguish a fire outbreak in Karysto. It suddenly banked and despite the pilot’s efforts to lift the aircraft, it crashed a few tens of meters away.

Although the conclusion with the accident’s exact causes is being awaited, initial information and the footage from the crash show that the aircraft lowered to put out the fire, the water drop was executed correctly, but in the pilot’s attempt to gain altitude, the aircraft’s wing touched on a tree, resulting in the float’s damage.

Within seconds, the aircraft veered to the right, hit the slope, and burst into flames, killing the 27-year-old co-pilot and the 34-year-old pilot instantly.

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