A British tourist died while swimming in Malta’s famed Blue Lagoon after using a slide on a tourist boat.
The 43-year-old had taken the slide down into the water at around 1:30pm on Tuesday before finding himself struggling in the lagoon, located in Comino.
A number of travellers spotted he was underwater before pulling him up to the surface of the water and beginning CPR, reports Times of Malta.
Volunteer first aiders from Malta’s Emergency Response and Rescue Corps (ERRC) quickly arrived at the scene and took over efforts to save him.
They carried the unnamed man to Mgarr Harbour in Gozo where a hospital medical team was waiting, but he was tragically pronounced upon arrival at Victoria Hospital.
According to local reports, following the incident, Magistrate Brigitte Sultana is holding an inquiry.
It comes just a month after a 35-year-old Italian man died after getting into difficulty, while also at the Blue Lagoon in August.
In April the body of a 71-year-old fisherman was found off the coast of Comino, hours after he was reported missing.
The 43-year-old had taken the slide down into the water at around 1:30pm on Tuesday before finding himself struggling in the Blue Lagoon, located in Comino (file photo)
And a Spanish tourist sustained grievous injuries in July after she was hit by a boat propeller as she was boarding a boat in Comino, a popular destination for tourists.
According to Malta Daily, a comprehensive proposal has been presented for the rehabilitation of Comino’s Blue Lagoon, designed to safeguard its ecosystems while improving the visitor experience.
The project, titled Blue Lagoon Rehabilitation: Balancing Nature and Experience, was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg together with architect Jonathan Mizzi of Mizzi Studio, during a press conference organised by the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) and Team Blue Lagoon.
Key plans include the removal of kiosks from the shoreline to make way for a 200metre scenic walkway with improved accessibility, the restoration of 35,000 square metres of shrubland, and the relocation of vessel operations to safer docking areas away from swimming zones.
The swimming area will also be enlarged by around 5,600 square metres.
