[WATCH] Man’s body recovered from St Thomas Bay is of missing diver

AFM transports recovered body to Hay Wharf

The body of 71-year-old Carmelo Cassar from Zejtun was recovered from the sea in St Thomas Bay and transported by rescue launch to Hay Wharf, where a police hearse conveyed it to Mater Dei hospital for examination.

Cassar most likely died of natural causes, but autopsy will be performed on the body in order to determine the cause of death, the police said.

He was identified by his son, who was fishing around the area at the time. At the time of his death, Cassar was diving in the same area where he was discovered.

According to an AFM spokesperson, a swimmer out at sea had seen a floating object which he then identified as a body, and pulled it onto some rocks close to the shore, so as to not let it drift away with the current.

Police first received a report of a body at sea off of St Thomas Bay in Marsaskala at about 10:45am on Thursday.

AFM and Civil Protection Department personnel went on site and secured the scene, before loading the body onto an AFM rescue launch.

The body was found with a red flotation buoy attached to it, indicating that the man had been diving.

A man approached the rescuers on site, advising them the body could be that of his father who had gone diving in the morning; he was later reported to have identified the body as that of his missing father.

Duty magistrate Joseph Mifsud has appointed experts to assist in the investigation.