The body of a 26-year-old Chinese tourist has been recovered after an overnight search operation off the Maltese island of Comino, where a natural rock arch collapsed onto a jet ski on Saturday evening.
Emergency crews worked through the night after the man became trapped beneath large rocks on the seabed when the limestone formation gave way. Divers used heavy lifting equipment to remove the debris before the body could be recovered safely. Maltese police have opened an investigation into the incident.
The collapse also injured a 27-year-old Chinese woman who had been travelling on the same jet ski. A 32-year-old American tourist, who had entered the water from the rock formation shortly before it collapsed, was rescued by a passing private boat and treated for minor injuries at Mġarr Harbour without requiring hospital treatment.
Overnight Recovery Operation
Police said the incident happened at about 7:00 p.m. on Saturday beneath the natural rock arch known locally as the 'Kissing Elephants', near Santa Marija Battery on Comino.
Investigators said the American tourist had jumped from the rock formation shortly before it collapsed. Authorities have not suggested the dive caused the collapse, and the cause remains under investigation.
The falling rocks struck the jet ski carrying the two Chinese tourists, destroying the watercraft and throwing both passengers into the sea. The woman was rescued and taken by road to Gozo General Hospital, where officials said her injuries were serious but not considered life-threatening.
Divers from the Armed Forces of Malta's Gozo Command and 3rd Regiment, together with the Civil Protection Department, searched the area and later located the missing man trapped beneath large rocks underwater. Because of the size of the fallen limestone blocks, a crane mounted on a marine barge was brought to the scene to remove debris before divers could recover the body late on Sunday.
Investigation Under Way
Magistrate Dr. Monica Vella has launched a magisterial inquiry while police continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
According to the Times of Malta, investigators have also reviewed surveillance footage from the nearby Noma Island floating beach club to help establish the sequence of events and determine whether anyone else was caught in the incident. Authorities have not said what caused the rock formation to fall.
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Previous Safety Concerns Raised
The rockfall has renewed attention on the stability of some of Malta's coastal rock formations, particularly at popular tourist sites. Several local residents and regular visitors told Maltese media they had previously noticed signs of deterioration at the arch. Kayaker Michelle Attard Tonna told the Times of Malta she photographed what she believed was a widening crack in the formation around two weeks before the incident. She also said there were no warning signs or exclusion zones preventing people from approaching the arch. Those claims have not been addressed publicly by Maltese authorities.
The incident also comes nearly two years after 22-year-old Mirabelle Falzon died in a cliff collapse while swimming at Marsascala in July 2024. Since then, several coastal locations, including St Peter's Pool, Fomm ir-Riħ and parts of Għar Lapsi, have faced temporary closures or safety restrictions because of concerns over unstable rock formations.
Investigators have not yet determined what caused the rock formation to collapse, and inquiries remain ongoing.
