Aristotelis ("Telis") Zervoudis ( el, Αριστοτέλης Ζερβούδης; ''b''. in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

in 1964) is a

professional diver Professional diving is underwater diving where the divers are paid for their work. The procedures are often regulated by legislation and codes of practice as it is an inherently hazardous occupation and the diver works as a member of a team. Du ...

from

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

Notable discoveries

During his diving expeditions he discovered and identified several important wrecks, including: * SS Oria - a steamship which sank in 1944 causing over 4100 deaths. This is the 4th worst naval disaster in maritime history and the worst in the Mediterranean. * U-133 - a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

submarine sank in 1942. * The SS ''Heimara'', sunk in 1947, the worst naval tragedy in Greece during peacetime with 389 losses.

Accolades

For his services during the diving expeditions on the ''Oria'' and to the Italian State, he was appointed Knight of the

Order of the Star of Italy The Order of the Star of Italy ( it, Ordine della Stella d'Italia ) is an Italian order of chivalry that was founded in 2011. The order was reformed from the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity by the 11th President of Italy, Giorgio Napoli ...

(Cavaliere del' Ordine della Stella d' Italia) by the President of Italy

Sergio Mattarella Sergio Mattarella (; born 23 July 1941) is an Italian politician, jurist, academic and lawyer who has served as the president of Italy since 2015. A Christian leftist politician, Mattarella was a leading member of the Christian Democracy par ...

in December 2017,Cf. Presidential Decree of 29th December 2017, in
''Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana''
(Parte prima), Anno 159, Numero 38 (15 febbraio 2018). and he received the insignia of the Order in June 2018 in a special ceremony from the Italian ambassador to Greece. In August 2023 in Sicily he was awarded with the 23rd International Maritime Award (XXIII Trofeo del Mare), for his contribution to the maritime history and the European solidarity.

References

https://www.trofeodelmare.it/it/premiati/premio-2023/#Zervoudis https://www.vrsicilia.it/a-scoglitti-la-xxiii-edizione-del-trofeo-del-mare/ 1964 births Living people Professional divers Recipients of Italian civil awards and decorations Underwater diving explorers {{Greece-bio-stub