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Kayakers saved by AFM
Five kayakers were yesterday rescued by the Armed Forces of Malta, after they found themselves in difficulty off the South Western coast of the Island.
The kayakers had planned to carry out a canoe trip from Wied iz-Zurrieq towards the Freeport area.
The party of kayakers onboard three inflatable kayaks was made up of Matthew Pace, Christian Muscat, Andrea Scorcia, Andrea Gauci and Marianne Attard.
At around 1:25pm, one of the kayakers in distress made contact via the 112 emergency-freephone service with the AFM’s Rescue Co-ordination Centre (RCC Malta) at Luqa Barracks, indicating that their party of five kayakers, required assistance as one of their air inflatable kayaks had sunk off the Ghar Hassan coastline’s area.
Weather conditions in the area were indicated as being with moderate to rough seas, blowing a south-westerly wind varying from force 3 to 5 locally.
An AFM Air Wing Alouette rescue-helicopter was immediately scrambled into the air, whilst a Maritime Squadron Vittoria-class rescue-launch, the “Melita-1”, was dispatched at speed from its base at Haywharf in Pietà.
Once overflying the area where the kayakers were reported, the AFM helicopter found them all clinging onto the two remaining serviceable kayaks. One kayaker, Matthew Pace, was winch-hoisted onboard the helicopter, as the “Melita-1” launch arrived on the scene to rescue the remainder of the kayakers. The sole kayaker airlifted earlier by the helicopter was landed back onto the rescue-launch, which then proceeded back with the rescued group to Haywharf Base.
