Letters | Sunday, 26 July 2009

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More lifeguards needed for Maltese beaches

I was on a holiday in Malta last month and I was walking with my friends at Paceville. We walked along the sandy beaches of St George’s Bay and Mellieha Bay. When I was there I noticed the very well kept and clean beaches and we stopped for a swim.
Another thing which impressed me was the lifeguard service offered in both beaches which in my opinion is impressive. I wish to compliment the parties involved and I must say a big well done. We visited other beaches such as Xlendi, Marsalforn Bay, Ramla Bay and Comino Bay. Here again I wish to compliment for the clean places but something that I felt very disappointed with was that in these beaches, which are frequently and visited daily by locals and by tourists, the service of the lifeguard was missing.
Surely I will remember the very picturesque views, valleys and traditions which I had the opportunity to see in some villages, but also a very undesired memory will still be in mind because when I was swimming on my last day at Comino I was present when a German lady slipped on a boat and incurred a spinal injury. Unfortunately no trained lifeguards were there to help the lady in distress, but some locals.
A helicopter was called but it took a bit of time until the medical team came and helped the lady. I wish to know why is this so? Why in Malta are there some beaches with lifeguards, while Comino and other beaches in Gozo which are visited so much by tourists and by locals alike, do not have this service? What are the parties doing in this respect?

Thomas Smyth
Melbourne, Australia

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