All eight members of a group of overseas scuba divers were brought ashore safely yesterday afternoon (4 September) following a multi-agency search and rescue effort off the coast of Cirkewwa in Malta.
The emergency response was initiated after the group encountered difficulties while diving near the Rozi shipwreck, a popular site routinely dived from shore. Strong currents and rough conditions reportedly swept the divers away from the shoreline, triggering a distress call.
A co-ordinated joint operation was deployed, involving the Armed Forces of Malta, the Civil Protection Department and the Malta Red Cross. The rescuers were initially able to locate only five of the divers and brought them back to shore.
The emergency services then extended the search operation until the remaining three divers were located and retrieved from the water. All eight received medical evaluations on site from a specialist team from Mater Dei Hospital and were discharged at the scene.
Two scuba divers died and another was last reported in critical condition in separate incidents in Malta during August.
80-year-old dies
Also yesterday, an 80-year-old scuba diver died following a medical emergency off the coast of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, according to reports from the US Coast Guard.
At 10.48am Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay received a distress radio call from the Dina Dee II, a 13m charter dive-boat operating from the borough of Barnegat Light and specialising in wreck-diving.
Crew reported that the diver had surfaced unresponsive, causing them to initiate CPR immediately. The Coast Guard dispatched a lifeboat crew from Barnegat Light and escorted the vessel back to a marina where paramedics were on standby.
Despite life-saving efforts at sea and at the marina, the diver was pronounced dead by a medical examiner. Authorities withheld the victim’s identity pending family notification and further investigation.