Polish girl who got swept out to sea in Ċirkewwa laid to rest

Oliwia Wojnowska, the 13-year-old girl who died after being swept up by a wave at Ċirkewwa has been laid to rest.

According to Polish news outlet Super Express, the girl’s funeral drew crowds of mourners on Saturday afternoon. 

Oliwia died in January after she was swept out to sea at Ċirkewwa and found dead after a multi-day search operation.

The victim, a Polish national on holiday in Malta with her family, was standing on the pavement behind railings near Ċirkewwa’s south quay area watching the rough sea late on Monday afternoon when a large wave swept her away.

The force of the wave pinned her father, 49, and her 17-year-old brother against a wall, while the girl was dragged into the water.

The father was injured while trying to reach his daughter and was later treated at Mater Dei Hospital.

Grief following Oliwia’s death has shaken her hometown, as Polish media writes that the “John Paul II Primary School in Łazy and the mayor of the Lesznowola commune expressed their deepest sympathy to the family, emphasising the enormous loss and difficult time of mourning for the entire school community.”