Rescuers are continuing their search for the 37-year-old man, who vanished at Ramla Bay in Malta on Monday afternoon. An 11-year-old boy died while in the water
A British man is missing after an 11-year-old boy died having got into trouble while swimming in Malta.
Rescuers were called to Ramla Bay with the police and the Civil Protection Department beginning an “intensive search” by dinghy and helicopter shortly after 1pm on Monday.
The boy was plucked from the water before being rushed to hospital but died on arrival. It is not known if the pair were swimming together when they both got into difficulty. The Meteorological Office had issued a warning about powerful winds hitting Malta at the start of the week. Since the start of 2025, 16 people have drowned in the country.
The search for the man, who has not been named, has re-started this morning. Just last month, a British tourist drowned at a world famous landmark in Malta after using a slide from a pleasure boat into the sea.
The 43-year-old entered into the turquoise waters at the Blue Lagoon in Comino. Holidaymakers spotted him having gone underwater and pulled him to the surface, where they began CPR – but he was later pronounced dead in hospital.
A police spokesperson said Magistrate Brigitte Sultana has launched an inquiry into the tragedy. Volunteer first-aiders from Malta’s Emergency Response and Rescue Corps had rushed to the scene and took him to Mgarr Harbour in Gozo.
Tragically, drowning in Malta is becoming more common. In August, a 35-year-old Italian man died after also getting into difficulty at the Blue Lagoon while in April the body of a 71-year-old fisherman was found off the coast of Comino, a few hours after he was reported missing.
A Spanish tourist lost her life after an accident in the water where she was hit by a propeller while getting onboard a boat in Comino. She suffered serious injuries during the incident in July and later passed away.
While being one of Malta’s biggest attractions, the Blue Lagoon has long been the subject of safety fears, including for its natural ecosystems. On its website it states about safety: “In Blue Lagoon there are life guards that will make sure that you will stay safe. Since May and until October there is a swimming area that is covering the whole lagoon and allows you to swim in safety.
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