TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — Carefully perched on their boats, 66 young men took their cues from the Archbishop.
Once he threw the small wooden cross into the murky waters of Spring Bayou, the young men followed suit, all leaping into the water to find the cross and presumably the year of blessing that goes with it.
This year, 17-year-old Luc Boillot of Tarpon Springs emerged from the waters with the coveted cross.
“I can’t explain it. This is unreal,” said Boillot.
As is tradition with the Epiphany celebration in Tarpon Springs, now in its 119th year and the largest one in the Western Hemisphere, Boillot was hoisted into the air by his fellow divers and carried back to St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral.
After everything Tarpon Springs has gone through in 2024 recovering from the hurricanes, this tradition means the world to the thousands witnessing this blessing.
Look no further than Luc’s mother, Kathy, to understand this special moment.
“It’s very emotional for me because of my father and both of my brothers caught the cross. You know, my father was the priest here for 30 years at Saint Nicholas Cathedral, and I feel truly blessed,” said Kathy Boillot.
This was Luc’s second time trying to retrieve the cross. He is in high school, and plans on going to UCF.
Currently, he works as a lifeguard, which he says may have given him an edge.
“This year, I felt like I had to get on top of the cross and approach it underwater. Because the first time I tried diving under the boat and going all the way under and holding my breath, but it didn’t work," said Luc.
That change of approach was a blessed strategy.
“It felt like a dream. I was dreaming of it last night. It really didn’t feel real. I was entirely blessed to be in that moment, at that right time. It was incredible.”