Eight scuba divers have been brought safely ashore following a search and rescue operation off Ċirkewwa in Malta after the group encountered difficulties in rough sea conditions.
The incident unfolded on Friday afternoon, September 4, when emergency services responded to reports of divers in distress off the northern coast of Malta.
According to the Times of Malta, a joint search and rescue operation involving the Malta Red Cross, Armed Forces of Malta and Civil Protection Department was launched.
Five members of the group were initially located and brought safely back to shore. Once ashore, however, they informed rescuers that another three divers from their group were still unaccounted for.
The search operation then continued for the remaining divers.
All three were subsequently located and brought ashore, bringing the operation to a successful conclusion with all eight divers accounted for.
The divers were reported to be foreign nationals.
The Malta Independent reports that conditions at the time were rough, with strong currents pushing the divers away from shore.
All eight were assessed by a medical team from Mater Dei Hospital following the rescue and were discharged at the scene, with none requiring transportation to hospital.
A major diving area in Malta
Ċirkewwa sits at the northern end of Malta and is one of the country’s best-known areas for scuba diving.
Its underwater attractions include reefs, walls, swim-throughs and wrecks, with the area regularly attracting both local and visiting divers.
Friday’s incident demonstrates how quickly changing sea conditions and currents can create difficulties even around established and frequently visited dive sites.
What initially appeared to be a rescue involving five divers developed into a wider search when emergency responders learned that three additional members of the group remained at sea.
The involvement of the Malta Red Cross, Armed Forces of Malta and Civil Protection Department resulted in all eight members of the group being recovered safely.
The successful outcome is particularly significant given the conditions reported at the scene and the period during which three members of the group remained unaccounted for.
At the time of publication, authorities had not released further details about the identities or nationalities of the divers, or the circumstances that led to the group getting into difficulty.
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