Blue Lagoon party ends in tragedy

A night party for a group of Germans on board a charter sailing boat ended in tragedy after a member of the group fell overboard and drowned near L-Irqieqa Point, off Comino, late on Monday.

The body of 55-year-old Volker Musehold was found floating off Comino during a search yesterday morning.

The alarm was raised at about 11.30 p.m. after the captain of the motor launch Fernandes II was told by passengers a man had fallen overboard. He informed the police, the Armed Forces of Malta and the Civil Protection Department.

At this time the boat, chartered to the group by pleasure cruise company Captain Morgan, was returning to Marsamxett after the party at the Blue Lagoon. It was sailing in the direction of Cirkewwa.

Mr Musehold formed part of a group attending a conference in Malta.

The AFM said the man was believed to have fallen overboard approximately a quarter mile off Comino in calm seas.

Police sources said Mr Musehold was seen frantically waving his hands for a while before disappearing from sight. Futile attempts were made by the captain of the Fernandes II to locate him.

A search for the missing man was launched immediately by two AFM patrol craft, two dinghies manned by the Comino police and by the Civil Protection Department's motor launch Melita. A Gozo Channel Co. vessel and a motor launch operated by the Comino Hotel also helped at one point during the search.

Two helicopters, an AFM Alouette III and an Italian Air Force AB 212, manned by a joint Italian and Maltese crew, were also deployed during the all-night search.

At daybreak, another AFM vessel and an AFM fixed-wing aircraft joined in the search which by now covered the areas around Comino, the north and south Comino channels and the west of Comino up to three nautical miles out, the AFM said.

The corpse was spotted floating face down about half a mile to the east of Comino by the AFM helicopter at about 9.30 a.m. yesterday.

It was recovered by a patrol boat and taken to Gozo General Hospital where a post mortem examination will be carried out this morning.

Magistrate Lawrence Quintano is holding an inquiry and has appointed a team of court experts to draw up reports on the case.

The Gozo district police are investigating.