Greek fishermen joined a dramatic mission to rescue dozens of tourists trapped on Crete's coastline as wildfires continued to rage across multiple holiday islands.Footage captured the moment rescue boats battled huge waves from winds of up to 100mph and thick smoke to reach 29 people stranded on a beach in the Agios Pavlos area and haul them to safety.The group, including children and elderly people, had fled to the shoreline after their hotel caught fire.According to the Greek Coast Guard, 17 people were rescued in an initial operation before a further 12 were brought to safety in a second mission, taking the total to 29.The rescue came as firefighters battled major blazes across Greece, with thousands forced to flee homes and hotels on Crete, while wildfires also continued to burn across parts of Spain, Portugal and France after weeks of extreme heat. Fishing boats also joined the complex rescue effort in Agios Pavlos, with terrifying footage showing the vessels crashing through huge waves to save those stranded.Captain Nikos Matthaiakis, one of the fishermen involved, described the chaotic rescue to MEGA.He said fire had surrounded the area, engulfing a tavern and tourist accommodation, while reed beds burned and sparks reached the rescue boats.Exploding gas cylinders added to the chaos as stormy seas battered the vessels and around 30 people were stranded on the beach with no escape route.'It was stifling in terms of fire and smoke, but the winds were hurricane-force. Imagine that they recorded wind gusts of up to 160 kilometres per hour,' he said.A wildfire broke out on Thursday morning in Germany's Chiemgau Alps mountain range. 200 firefighters and emergency personnel are on the scene. In Spain, 207,000 hectares (511,000 acres) of land have burned nationwide as firefighters are tackling a huge wildfire in Avila outside Madrid. A construction worker has been accused of starting the blaze by using an illegal excavator.In France, some 92,000 hectares have burned after a devastating fire swept through Bordeaux. New fires have now erupted between the cities of Marseille and Nice and in the Burgundy region.Turkish firefighters on Wednesday battled wildfires near the country's southern tourist beaches that have forced the evacuation of hundreds of people. Firefighters in France have warned embers could fuel 'zombie fires' for several months, mobilizing rescue efforts until winter Greek fishermen joined a dramatic mission to rescue dozens of tourists trapped on Crete's coastline as wildfires continued to rage across multiple holiday islands Fishing boats also joined the complex rescue effort in Agios Pavlos, with terrifying footage showing the vessels crashing through huge waves to reach those stranded on the beach Pictured: Smoke filled the sky as rescue boats battled stormy seas to rescue the people trapped According to the Greek Coast Guard, 17 people were rescued in an initial operation before a further 12 were brought to safety in a second mission, taking the total to 29 Flames and ember rise as a wildfire burns next to the village of Krya Vrysi on the island of Crete