This Saturday, the Illustrious Route of Santander paid tribute to José Sanz Tejera, popularly known as ‘Cioli’ (Santander 1936-2011), with the discovery of a plaque in the Spa on La Magdalena beach, the place where he established his operations center as a lifeguard.
The mayor, Gema Igual, was in charge of presiding over the event, which was also attended by members of the corporation, family and friends of the honoree, as stated by the City Council in a press release.
He has also praised the career and values represented by the figure of ‘Cioli’, whom he has defined “as one of the most beloved characters in Santander and Cantabria, who saved the lives of hundreds of people.”
The councilor reviewed the biographical and professional career of the honoree, highlighting his humanitarian vocation and his dedication to helping others altruistically. Thus, he recalled that, Since graduating in rescue and lifesaving, he has saved the lives of nearly 150 people, most of them before the 1980s, a time when there were no lifeguards on the beaches.
He has also made reference to the multiple decorations and distinctions that ‘Cioli’ received throughout his life in recognition of his work, among which are the Red Cross Medal, the Silver Medal of the Shipwrecked Rescue Society , the Medal of Merit from the Civil Protection of Cantabria and the Cross of Merit from the Local Police of Santander.
Likewise, he pointed out that the City Council also paid tribute to him in 1983, when it dedicated a plaque to him located on the access stairs to La Magdalena beach.
He also explained that the dedication of this plaque to ‘Cioli’ is carried out at the proposal of the Padre Menni psychosocial rehabilitation center and the Nueva Montaña, Gerardo Diego and Magallanes schools, which, through the municipal educational itineraries program, have the possibility of proposing names for this Illustrious Route.
Likewise, he has expressed his gratitude to the Center for Montañeses Studies for collaborating with the City Council in this initiative which, as he has stressed, serves to pay tribute “to those who made the city, and, at the same time, allows us to tell the story of Santander from the buildings and places that were references” in the careers of distinguished personalities.
Family and friends of José Sanz Tejera also participated in the event, who spoke about the professional and personal career of the honoree, and about the values that he defended and exercised throughout his life.
PLATE NUMBER 35
The plaque dedicated to ‘Cioli’ is number 35 of the Illustrious Route of Santander, an initiative that was born in 2021 with the aim of showing the important places in the lives of significant people in the history of the city, in order to promote their recognition and visibility.
Furthermore, this initiative seeks to highlight different buildings, spaces and streets, contributing to a “balanced” distribution of the flow of visitors.
All information about the plaques and the career of the honorees is available on the Turismo Santander website, in the specific section of the Route of the Illustrious.
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