Businessman finds underwater walk tiring and lonely

Businessman Daniel Abela yesterday walked 2.4 kilometres underwater to raise funds for two charities - Caritas and the Eden Foundation - and found the experience exhausting.

The 36-year-old described the undersea stroll as "tough", and, wearing a boyish smile, added that maybe he might have "slightly" underestimated just how hard it was going to be.

"It gets tiring and cold. It is also a very lonely experience," he told The Times. Not to mention the pesky jellyfish in the area.

Waiting for him on shore were family and friends, including his toddler daughter, Samara.

This was not the first time that Mr Abela pushed himself to the limits to raise funds for charity. However, this was his most challenging stunt to date, especially because he is not a professional diver. Moreover, although he did practise his underwater walk in a pool, yesterday's was the first time he did it in the sea.

Professional divers Mark Gatt, Jonathan Callus, Neville Camilleri and Ray Galea accompanied Mr Abela to ensure his safety, while Scuba Tech provided the equipment. Mr Gatt "walked" the whole way with him, a grateful Mr Abela explained.

Despite his initial exhaustion after the "walk" across Ghadira Bay and back, which took him just over two hours, Mr Abela will probably soon come up with some other innovative challenge to raise money.

Would he do this walk again? "That would be boring, don't you think?" he replied. So, what else is there for him to do? "There are so many things that one could do," he replied.

The undersea stroll was part of Family Day 2006, organised by the Vodafone Malta Foundation to raise funds for the two charitable institutions. A small percentage of the funds will go to Dr Victor Grech to set up Malta's first medical online journal.

As part of the activities, part of Mellieha Bay was converted into a mini playground where families could enjoy a day out. Apart from pony rides, there was also a football tournament, a demonstration by the mounted police and a bouncing castle where children could play at their heart's delight.

Vodafone Malta Foundation secretary Deborah Grech said this was the first time the foundation, set up in November 2003, had embarked on such an event, but hopefully it won't be the last. She said the intention was not solely to raise money, but also to raise awareness about the two charitable institutions.

Eden Foundation marketing manager Robert Farrugia explained that Caritas, which offers services to drug addicts, needed Lm40,000 a month. The Eden Foundation, which gives education and therapy to children and young adults with a disability, needs more than Lm2,300 a day. This translates into more than Lm1 million a year for the two institutions to operate.