A dead man’s body was found off Malta’s western coast on Sunday 8th September morning, following an Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) helicopter search that began on Saturday.
The body is believed to be that of a man who ran into trouble while swimming in the Miġra l-Ferħa, Mtahleb. He was later identified as a 34 year old American who resides in the Netherlands. He decided to take a dip on Saturday while visiting the spot with another man, but soon found himself in difficulty struggling in the water.
His friend, a Portuguese of 38 years who lives in Sliema, jumped into the sea to try and rescue him, but was unable to do so and had to swim north to Ġnejna Bay to make it back to shore.
Authorities immediately began searching for the missing man but were unable to locate him by the time darkness fell on Saturday.
The search resumed early on Sunday morning with an AFM spokesperson confirming that a helicopter crew had spotted a body floating in the area. In a Police statement it said the body was found at around 0900 hrs. The body was brought onboard the AFM SAR Launch MELITA II to Cirkewwa and then taken away by hearse.
Photos by Capt. Lawrence Dalli. Do not use these images without my permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com
