British tourist, 43, drowns at Malta’s Blue Lagoon after using boat slide

A 43-year-old British tourist died after getting into difficulty in Malta’s Blue Lagoon on Tuesday afternoon after using a slide on a tourist boat, authorities said.

Witnesses on other vessels saw the man underwater and pulled him to the surface, where bystanders began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Volunteer first aiders from the Emergency Response and Rescue Corps (ERRC) took over rescue efforts and transferred the man to Mgarr Harbour in Gozo. A hospital medical team was waiting, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at Victoria Hospital. Local reports said the man has not been named and that Magistrate Brigitte Sultana has opened an inquiry into the incident.

The incident occurred at about 1:30 p.m. in the Blue Lagoon, a popular swimming and day-trip destination on the small island of Comino between Malta and Gozo. Authorities and emergency responders have not released further details about the circumstances leading up to the man’s distress in the water.

The drowning follows several other recent safety incidents in and around Comino. In August, a 35-year-old Italian man died after getting into difficulty in the Blue Lagoon; in July a Spanish tourist suffered grievous injuries after being struck by a boat propeller while boarding a vessel in Comino; and in April the body of a 71-year-old fisherman was found off the coast of Comino hours after he was reported missing.

Separately, Maltese officials and planners have outlined a comprehensive proposal aiming to rehabilitate the Blue Lagoon and reduce risks to visitors while protecting local ecosystems. The plan, presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg alongside architect Jonathan Mizzi of Mizzi Studio at a press conference organised by the Malta Tourism Authority and Team Blue Lagoon, calls for the removal of shoreline kiosks to make way for a 200-metre scenic walkway with improved accessibility. The proposal also includes restoring roughly 35,000 square metres of shrubland, relocating vessel operations to safer docking areas away from designated swimming zones, and enlarging the swimming area by about 5,600 square metres.

Officials have said the proposals are intended both to protect the lagoon’s environment and to improve visitor safety by separating swimming areas from boat traffic and creating more controlled access points. The inquiry opened by the magistrate will examine the circumstances of Tuesday’s death; Maltese authorities routinely investigate sudden deaths in the islands’ waters to determine cause and any potential breaches of safety protocols.

Rescue organisations in Malta and Gozo continue to respond to frequent incidents at popular coastal sites during the summer season, when waterborne tourism and day trips to sites such as Comino increase. Emergency services and tourism authorities have in recent years implemented measures and safety guidance for boat operators and swimmers, and the rehabilitation proposal is part of wider discussions about balancing access with preservation and safety at the Blue Lagoon.