Two Polish scuba divers have died after one of them, a 45-year-old man, got into difficulties while exploring Le Polynesien shipwreck in Malta and his dive-buddy went to his assistance. The incident occurred yesterday morning (6 July).
The 19th-century French liner Le Polynesien is located 2.5km off Zonqor Point, Marsascala, which is Malta’s easternmost point.
Also read: British diver dies in Malta
The 152m-long ship, which was torpedoed towards the end of WW1, lies at an average depth of 50m with a maximum of 65m, so is regarded as a technical dive. The site can be exposed to strong currents.
The two divers are understood to have made a rapid ascent from the wreck, missing decompression stops.
Also read: Pot consultant suspended after diver’s death in Malta
Police informed late
The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) were notified about the situation at 10.30am. The two men were picked up from their group’s charter vessel and brought to shore by an AFM search and rescue vessel with paramedics on hand.
The divers were taken by ambulance to Malta's main hospital Mater Dei, with the man who had suffered the initial problem declared dead shortly after arrival. His 48-year-old buddy was admitted in serious condition and died later in the day.
Malta police were not informed about the incident until 12.30pm. Police investigations and a magistrate’s inquiry are now underway.
Previous weekend
The previous Sunday afternoon had seen the AFM called out to rescue two female divers, again at a site off Zonqor Point. One of the divers, from China, was reported to have escaped mainly unscathed but the other, who was not identified, was later said by police to have sustained “grievous” injuries.
There had already been two scuba-diving deaths in Malta in recent months. A 44-year-old Swiss woman was brought ashore by other divers but died at Gozo's popular dive-site Dwejra on 11 May, and a 45-year-old Dutch man died near the Rozi dive-site in Cirkewwa on 26 March.
He had been one of a number of shore-divers who found themselves in difficulties when the weather turned and they were unable to get out of the water safely.
Also on Divernet: BRITISH DIVE-PRO CAME TO THE RESCUE IN MALTA, DIVER DIES, 17 RESCUED AT WINDY MALTA SHORE-DIVE SITE
