Keith Caruana identified as man killed in boat accident, 14-year-old boy in stable condition

Another 44-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy, who were also on the boat, were in a critical state. The boy's condition has since stabilised.

Yanika Rizzo, mother of 14-year-old Ben Caruana Rizzo, who was in critical condition, says his condition has improved and is now stable.

In a Facebook post, Rizzo thanked the person who called in the boat accident for saving the boy's life. She added Ben's condition is now stable as he is still in intensive care.

Earlier on Monday, hours after the fatal boating accident, Yanika Rizzo appealed to her son to keep fighting.

“Fight Ben. Please keep fighting as I can’t do life without you. If you surrender there is no more reason for me to live. It’s you and your brother or nothing at all," she wrote in a message shared on social media. 

“Don’t give up on me,” she continued.

The teenager was one of three people on board a boat that struck a reef off the Maltese coast on Sunday evening.

The 44-year-old man was taken to Mater Dei Hospital in critical condition.

Police were alerted at around 7:15pm after flares were spotted coming from the boat. Civil Protection Department personnel and members of the Armed Forces of Malta were dispatched to the scene, as the three occupants were found unconscious and brought ashore before being taken to hospital.

Police investigations into the incident are ongoing.