Epiphany case continues with another cross finder

And so the Epiphany cross controversy continues.

A fourth winner, Alexi Lake, was recognized days after Friday's cross dive at the annual Epiphany celebration in Tarpon Springs. The religious and cultural festival commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan.

"It's official now," Epiphany committee co-chairman Nick Mantzanas said today . "Now it's time to close the books on this year's event."

Lake, 16, of New Port Richey, joins the previous three winners – Louis Mailisand, 17, Miros Petru, 17, and Jared Alissandratos, 16. He attends Gulf High School; the other three attend Tarpon Springs High.

This is the first time in the event's 106-year history that there were quadruple winners in the popular cross dive. The last time there were three winners was in 1947.

The decision to add Lake to the list was made by the Rev. Michael Eaccarino, dean of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral. He said he came to his decision after witnessing the event, discussing what had happened with other people and praying.

Mantzanas acknowledged there were "plenty of Facebook comments and people taking sides" as to whom the authentic winner of the event should be. Eaccarino took everything under consideration before he made the announcement.

Typically, the winner is obvious. The archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of America casts the cross into the murky waters of the Spring Bayou, the Greek male teens dive in, and one emerges with the cross in his hand.

But things got a little chaotic this year.

Archbishop Demetrios blessed the cross and threw it in, and 61 boys jumped out of 10 rowboats anchored in a semicircle to search for it. After 6 1/2 minutes passed, the archbishop decided to throw a second cross.

Photos and video footage show that Lake came up with it first, but then he was pushed down in the water by some of his fellow divers. Alissandratos had his hand on it; then Mailisand came from the left, eventually getting a hold of the elusive cross and lifting it again out of the water.

He was carried to the cathedral upon the shoulders of some of the boys. A few minutes later, a second boy was carried in.

"It's my cousin!" Mailisand called out in disbelief. Petru was holding the first cross high above his head. He had continued his search after Mailisand found the second cross. The two cousins were honored in a brief ceremony in the sanctuary, with prayers and photos of them holding the two crosses.

A few hours later, after several of the divers, their parents and other witnesses got into heated discussions over what really happened in the bayou, the Epiphany Committee announced that Alissandratos was the third winner. But the discussions carried on through the weekend, with different factions lining up and arguing over whether the authentic winner had been left out.

Mantzanas said it was distressing that Epiphany's true spiritual meaning was getting lost in all the controversy.

"Like I've always said, everybody is blessed on Epiphany Day," he said. "I believe what happened was God's will. We're happy to be blessed with four cross retrievers, but this shouldn't be the main focus now."

Mantzanas said he made the dive 20 years ago – in a time when instant photos and footage were not available to review and dissect the outcome.

"I'm old school. I'm into the theology element, not this," he said. "Back when I dove, one boy came up with it, and all of the other divers carried him to the church.

"Yes, it's a special honor to be recognized, but it's a shared blessing. It's not a competition."

Dive coordinator Michael Kouskoutis told The Suncoast News on Tuesday that in the future, only one cross will be thrown.

mbearden@tampatrib.com

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