German tourist dies in Gozo

A 50-year-old German woman died in Mġarr ix-Xini yesterday, the police said.

Ellen Fischer, 50, was minutes into a beginner's dive when she started feeling unwell. She was on the slipway, with a friend helping her remove the diving equipment, when, according to eyewitnesses, she turned blue in the face and was given first aid. Since this was a beginner's dive, the woman would not have spent a lot of time underwater, people in the Gozitan diving community said.

The case was reported to the police at about 11.30 a.m.

Magistrate Paul Coppini is holding an inquiry.