Young swimmer in critical condition

A 16-year-old Danish girl was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital after she found herself in difficulty while swimming at Għadira Bay in Mellieħa.

This morning at around 8:30, while the young girl was swimming, she felt unwell and was in difficulty. A bystander noticed that the girl was face down, motionless in the water. He jumped in the sea and brought the girl to safety.

The girl's mother administered first aid until an ambulance from the Mosta Health Centre went on the scene and took the youngster to Mater Dei Hospital.

She is being kept in the Intensive Care Unit for further medical examinations and observation because she swallowed sea water. Her condition is described as critical.