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Minister orders inquiry on Gozo yacht incident
Transport minister Joe Mizzi orders preliminary inquiry into the incident which led to death of five French tourists off the coast of Gozo.
9 May 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
1 min read
The minister for transport and infrastructure, Joe Mizzi, has ordered a preliminary inquiry into the incident in which five French tourists lost thiei lives off the coast of Gozo.
Captain Mario Grech, a Master Mariner, was appointed inquiry officer in terms of the Merchant Shipping Act.
Upon the conclusion of the Preliminary Inquiry the Inquiring Officer shall submit a report to the Minister.
Meanwhile, the Marine Safety Investigation Unit (MSIU) within Transport Malta, is also conducting a separate safety investigation in terms of the relevant national legislation with the objective of identifying causes and safety issues, and where possible or necessary, make recommendations with the scope of improving safety.
The AFM's search for a missing group of French tourists continues, after three bodies were recovered.
The corpse of a man was found in the south Comino channel yesterday morning by an army helicopter and is in the process of being identified.
The discovery followed that of two female bodies found in the sea off Fomm ir-Rih Tuesday afternoon,.
The bodies were found wearing life jackets. The five tourists- Marie Grimaud, 38, Sandrine Gaudet, 36, Philippe Grimaud, 41, Elias Chnouni, 49 and his son Eli, 14 - were last seen on a small boat as they departed from Xlendi at about midnight on Sunday night.
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If the five-member French crew had a hand held VHF this huge tragedy would have been most likely less tragic. Foreigners do not know the Maltese coast. The stretch of coast from Xlendi to Dwejra is in pitch darkness. After a few minutes you leave Xlendi Bay on a small boat, you can hardly see Xlendi again or any land based lights because of the type of coast Xlendi is in i.e. a tight and meandering estuary type. The coast line is high and so mobile and in some areas VHF connection is a problem unless you are away from the high rock shield. Strong North Westly wind makes manoeuvring of a small open boat treacherous. It was difficult for them to find the moored yacht at Dwejra, more so because they yacht was anchored behind Fungus Rock. Chances are that they got lost and the boat filled with water. The rocky coast is dangerous for swimmers even in calm waters. The Minister’s nomination of Capt Mario Grech is an excellent decision as Capt Grech has a masters degree in ship’s safety and is competent to identify the reasons that led to this tragic incident.
