Updated 11pm with names of victims
Four Maltese people – two men and two women – were killed in a tragic road accident in Croatia when their car veered off the road and into the sea.
The two couples, Jeremy Gambin, 68, and his wife Lorraine, 67, who lived in Swieqi, died alongside Kevin Bonnici, 67, and his wife Alexandra, 66.
They were on holiday when the incident happened at 4.20pm on Thursday, on the D8 state road near Bunica, just south of Senj.
Their car was travelling from Rijeka towards Senj when the driver is believed to have lost control in a left bend. The vehicle veered to the right, struck two stone barriers, plunged around 70 metres down a ravine, and ended up in the sea, according to Croatia Week.
“Reports also indicate there is a possibility the driver suffered a medical episode while driving,” the news website reported.
Police officer Jasmin Mujaković from the Senj Police Station was among the first to arrive at the scene of the horrific accident, 24sata reported.
According to witnesses, Mujaković removed his uniform and jumped into the cold water. He dived to a depth of 16 metres and tried to open the door of the car damaged by the force of the impact.
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He surfaced several times for air and then went down under the surface again, trying to find a way to reach the victims.
“He tried everything he could. He jumped, dived, tried to open the door, but due to the extensive damage and the strong water pressure, it was simply not possible. He did his best,” said Adrian Karamba from the towing service, who praised the police officer, his colleagues and the divers, 24sata reported.
The bodies were recovered from the water. Photo: HGSS Stanica GospicMembers of the maritime police and the Croatian Coast Guard soon joined the rescue attempts. While the vehicle was being recovered, the body of a woman floated to the surface, hundreds of metres away from the car. The other three were pulled from the vehicle.
The accident occurred on the DC8 state road section through the Bunica settlement. The car had been rented from a car rental company at Zagreb’s Pleso Airport.
In a statement, the foreign ministry conveyed its condolences to the victims’ families. It said it was in contact with the honorary consul of Malta in Croatia “to continue following every update on this case, and to provide assistance as required”, it said.
The car plunged 70 metres into the sea. Photo: HGSS Stanica GospićA criminal investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances of the incident.
The accident happened on a driving route along the scenic upper Adriatic Coast near the tourist resort of Bunica.