Overview
- The natural rock arch known as the 'Kissing Elephants' on Comino collapsed on Saturday evening after reports said an American tourist jumped from the formation.
- A 26-year-old Chinese man on a jet ski was crushed when large rocks fell onto the craft and his body was later recovered by divers.
- A 27-year-old Chinese woman who had been on the same jet ski was seriously injured and taken to Gozo General Hospital with injuries that doctors say are not life-threatening.
- Armed Forces divers and Malta’s Civil Protection Department used a crane to lift unstable debris so they could retrieve the victim, while the American who jumped was rescued by a passing boat and did not need hospital treatment.
- Investigators are examining CCTV and the circumstances of the collapse to determine whether tourist behaviour, safety rules or enforcement failures played a role, with potential changes to oversight for the busy Blue Lagoon area under consideration.