A powerful photograph capturing an Albanian worker rescuing a sheep during the devastating August wildfires in Patras, Greece, has been named among the most striking images of 2025 by the BBC.

Shot by photographer Thanassis Stavrakis (AP), the image shows 33-year-old Olsien Muçobega clutching a terrified sheep on his motorcycle as smoke from the raging fires fills the background. The haunting frame has been compared to ancient Christian imagery of the “Good Shepherd” and is now recognized as one of the defining photographs of the year.

But behind the viral picture is a deeply human story.

Olsien, originally from Tepelena, Albania, moved to Greece with his family at the age of 3. His father worked in construction and his mother as a housewife. Over the years, Olsien held several jobs—from painter and delivery worker to fast-food employee. Today, he lives in Greece with his Greek wife, Maria-Eleni, and their two children, Georgianna and Jasona.

On the day of the wildfires, Olsien was at the scene with friends from the AEK association, helping firefighters. His love for animals drove him to act when he saw the chaos.

“Do you know how many animals we saved? Dogs, lots of dogs tied up. People just ran away and left them behind. This is not negligence, this is a crime” he told local media.

For Olsien, what he did was not an act of heroism, but of humanity:

“I’m crazy about animals. We saved what we could. Everything belonged to an old farmer who was fighting for his land. I just did the obvious.”

Still, for many Greeks, his image symbolized hope, courage, and compassion on one of the darkest days of the year.