Three men rescued from sinking dinghy off St Thomas Bay

After having been informed at 11 a.m. this morning that a 14-foot dinghy carrying three men was sinking some 12 nautical miles off St Thomas Bay, the Armed Forces of Malta scrambled to the scene by means of an Alouette III helicopter.

An inshore patrol vessel, P22, was also immediately diverted to the position in order to render assistance.

The rescuers located the three Maltese men, aged 72, 41 and 28.

Whist the P22 was on its way, a second private craft that happened to be passing through the area offered immediate assistance and took the men onboard until the P-22 arrived at the scene. The rescued persons were found to be in good health and no medical assistance was required. P-22 proceeded to Marsaxlokk's Freeport to disembark the rescued men.

"This case highlights the importance of having appropriate emergency signaling means such as flares aboard all craft as such items can significantly reduce the amount of time required to deliver assistance in such cases," the AFM insisted in a statement.

In an interview with MaltaToday, Chief Officer of the Ports & Yachting Directorate within Transport Malta (TM), had emphasised on the importance of safety precautions one must take before embarking on a journey out at sea.

TM has taken the initiative of printing waterproof safety at sea checklist leaflets, both in English and Maltese, and which include emergency telephone numbers.

The mariners' guide recommends that boat owners carry basic equipment such as waterproof first-aid kits, fire extinguishers and a GPS, a life-raft or dinghy and of course life jackets for every one on board. It is also a good practice to wear life jackets when out at sea.