TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. —  As 55 divers prepare for the 115th Epiphany cross dive on Wednesday, a Tarpon Springs resident is reflecting on the year he retrieved the cross. 

It’s been 50 years since Nikitas Manias dove for the cross.

The year was 1971 and he was the first diver to emerge from the water with it.

"I can still see, I opened my eyes and there it was,” said Manias. 

It’s said that whoever retrieves the Epiphany cross will have blessings for the year.

“It was a fantastic year. And a fantastic life. I can’t complain," said Manias.

Every diver who participates is blessed, along with the Spring Bayou and the waters of Tampa Bay.

Nikitas Manias after retrieving the cross in January 1971. (Nikitas Manias)

"It flows from this Bayou into the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic. And that’s how we feel. It blesses the world,” said Manias.

Manias says it's not just about the blessings you get, but the ones you give. 

“Mostly it’s about religion. You have to give back to your church,” said Manias.

Manias has been the President of the Parish Council at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral for 15 years. He will continue in that role this year. 

While this Epiphany will be unlike any other, he hopes the divers will feel the same way he did and remember the importance of this religious ceremony.

“They will realize how important it is to the community to have the blessing of the water and for them to represent the community with the cross retrieval,” said Manias.