A tragic accident in Comino claimed the life of a 26-year-old Chinese tourist on Saturday evening after a natural rock arch collapsed directly onto his jet ski.
The fatal incident occurred at approximately 7:00 pm. According to the police, the young man was driving a jet ski beneath the rock formation just moments after a 32-year-old American tourist had dived off the arch into the sea. The structure suddenly gave way, trapping the driver beneath the falling debris.
Casualties and Rescue Operations
A 27-year-old Chinese woman, who was a passenger on the jet ski at the time of the collapse, survived the impact but sustained grievous injuries. She was rushed to Gozo General Hospital for urgent medical treatment. The American bather, who was in the water when the arch fell, was safely pulled from the sea by a passing boat and did not require hospitalization.
Complex Recovery Efforts Underway
Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) divers located the deceased tourist’s body, which remains pinned beneath massive rocks on the seabed.
Recovery operations have proven exceptionally difficult. On Sunday, rescue teams attempted to use specialized flotation air bags to shift the heavy debris and recover the victim. However, the Civil Protection Department confirmed that these initial attempts were unsuccessful due to the immense weight of the collapsed rocks.
Authorities have now determined that heavy machinery, specifically a crane, must be transported to the remote Comino site to safely lift the rocks and retrieve the body.
Magistrate Monica Vella has been appointed to lead an official inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the structural collapse and the resulting fatality.
