A British tourist has drowned while swimming at Malta’s popular Blue Lagoon Bay after using a slide from a pleasure boat into the sea.
Police said they were called to reports that a man had got into difficulty after entering the water from a slide on a catamaran at around 1pm on Tuesday.
Bystanders pulled the man out of the water and began performing CPR, the Times of Malta reported.
Members of the Emergency Response and Rescue Corps (ERRC) provided first aid on site before the man, 43, was transported to Mgarr Harbour in Gozo where he was treated by medics.
The man was pronounced dead shortly after arriving in Victoria General Hospital, Maltese police said.
The local magistrate Brigitte Sultana has been informed and an inquiry has been launched, police said. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The Independent has approached the Foreign Office for comment.
Two people have died after drowning in Comino this year and 12 have died in Malta overall, according to the Times of Malta.
In August an Italian man, 35, died after getting into difficulty while swimming at the Blue Lagoon, the newspaper reported.
The body of a 71-year-old fisherman was also found off the coast of Comino, hours after he was reported missing, in April.
A Spanish tourist was seriously injured in July after being struck by a boat propeller while boarding a boat on the island.
Comino remains one of the most popular destinations for tourists in Malta. Gozo and Comino were visited by more than half a million people last year, according to Malta’s National Statistics Office (NSO).
The Blue Lagoon is a beautiful bay found between Comino and its smaller counterpart, Cominotto. It is extremely busy during the summer months and is known for its turquoise waters and water sports.
However, local authorities have warned that a surge in tourism threatens the island’s ecosystem. In February, Malta’s tourism minister Ian Borg promised to “clean up” the area by introducing a capacity restriction of 4,000 visitors a day.
A message posted on the Blue Lagoon website warns: “Keep in mind that since the Blue Lagoon is open from both sides, in certain days, currents can be strong and swimming in the lagoon can be relatively difficult. Always check the flags around the lagoon and listen to the indications of the life guards.”
