5 divers rescued after encountering difficulties off Malta

Valletta: Five divers were rescued in one of Malta's most prominent scuba diving spots on Tuesday after they found themselves in difficulty due to rough seas.

The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) was called in after lifeguards at the southern scenic Wied iz-Zurrieq were alerted about the divers who encountered difficulties.

It was the Red Cross that notified the rescuers that there were five divers in difficulty after being carried away by the current and the waves, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a statement following a joint rescue operation, the AFM and the Civil Protection Department said that the operation was difficult because of the strong underwater currents and the strong wind tattering the Maltese islands.

One of the divers was rescued by the army helicopter that landed him on land with a winch so that he could be taken to the Mater Dei Hospital by an ambulance that arrived on the scene. The other four divers were picked up on a Civil Protection boat and taken ashore in Marsaxlokk.

The area is very popular among divers but there have been frequent incidents of divers being unable to get back to shore because of rough seas.

The most recent helicopter rescue from the area was in April when two divers also found themselves in difficulty.

Last July, two Polish divers died after finding themselves in difficulties while exploring a wreck off Marsascala, in the south of Malta.