Two Maltese-Australian female teenagers who were reported missing from Ġnejna, were found safe and sound several hours later at Mellieħa Bay.

The Armed Forces of Malta said they were alerted by the police at about 4.20 p.m. that the two girls were reported missing by their relatives from Ġnejna Bay, on the north western coast, where they had last been sighted on an air mattress at about 11 a.m.

The AFM said that family members reported at about 5.25 p.m. that the girls were spotted safe and sound at Mellieħa Bay, situated on the opposite side.

The AFM had by then deployed the rescue launch Melita, a rescue dinghy and an Alouette helicopter to look for the teenagers.

The AFM and the Italian Military Mission were yesterday afternoon also engaged in an operation to evacuate a 32-year-old Maltese crew member of the fishing-vessel Giovanni Padre. The crew member was reported to be running a high fever and was flown by helicopter to Mater Dei Hospital.

The AFM said that early in the afternoon they coordinated an operation near Lampedusa during which a number of illegal immigrants were rescued by the Italian authorities.

The migrants were adrift 34 nautical miles south-south-east of Lampedusa, the AFM said, adding that they are the search and rescue authority responsible for the area where the migrants were rescued.

Fourteen migrants, including a woman, were plucked to safety and their state of health was reported as good.