Update 2: AFM rescue man at Wied ix-Xaqqa
A 32-year-old man from Birzebbuga was saved at sea by the Armed Forces of Malta this afternoon. He was taken to hospital where he was treated for cuts and bruises.
Paul Busuttil, an amateur photographer, was on the rocks with two friends at Wied ix-Xaqqa, limits of Zurrieq, when a big wave came and pushed him and a 35-year-old, also from Birzebbuga into the sea, the AFM said.
The 35-year-old managed to make his way to shore but Mr Busuttil did not. The incident was reported to the police at around 2.45 p.m.
The police informed the AFM, which, given the strong north-westerly winds coupled by the south-easterly rough seas, deployed both a rescue launch and a helicopter to the area.
When the helicopter arrived, the man could not be winched up because of the rough weather so two AFM rescue swimmers went down on a life raft to help the man.
Because the casualty weighed 180 kilogrammes and the given that the sea was very rough, when the launch arrived at 3.20 p.m. it was decided to tow the rescuers and Mr Busuttil on board the life raft. He was then taken to the Freeport where an ambulance was waiting.
The operation was concluded at around 4.45 p.m.
22 Comments
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SANDRA GRIMA
Sep 5th 2010, 07:19
I AM VERY HAPPY THAT THIS POOR MAN WAS SAVED, BUT I CAN'T SAY I AM HAPPY WITH MOST OF THE COMMENTS PASSED REGARDING THIS MAN'S WEIGHT. SO WHAT? IS THERE ANYBODY PERFECT OUT THERE? AND PERSONALLY I BLAME ALL THIS ON WHOEVER HAD THE "GREAT IDEA" OF PUBLISHING THIS PHOTO, WELL DONE, YOU MANAGED TO DEGRADE THIS MAN IN EVERY WAY! SHAME ON YOU! AND AS FOR MR.BUSUTTIL I HOPE THAT HE IS RECOVERING WELL !
Joseph M. Scicluna
Sep 4th 2010, 16:15
May Mr Busuttil forget this trauma and pursue his hobby as a photographer. I have been a photographer for ages and will NOT blame this man for risking so much. Perseverance is the virtue of the hobby! Even though I am terrified of heights, I never said no when I was involved in shooting pictures (not birds) from a Bell helicopter without side doors at 1000 feet! Carry on shooting Paul!
N. Schembri
Sep 4th 2010, 13:54
It's Wied ix- Xoqqa (and not Xaqqa!!), and yes it's in the limits of Birzebbuga .
Anne Farrugia
Sep 4th 2010, 13:48
Another form of bullying coming from some Catholics on the Holy Island of Malta. I wonder what condtion, fault, disability etc the so called 'perfect bodied' people on this page have. At least I can see that this unfortunate gentleman happens to be large...but I'm positive that he's not a big bully as some of the bullies on this pape, who disgust me no end. Shame on you! Morru go bozza bix-naqra ganutel madwarkhom!
Vincent Gauci
Sep 4th 2010, 12:02
"Paul Busuttil, an amateur photographer, was on the rocks with two friends at Wied ix-Xaqqa, limits of Zurrieq"
Is Wied ix-Xaqqa really within the limits of Zurrieq? I believe it is within the limits of B'Buga.
Pauline Thompson
Sep 4th 2010, 11:09
This poor man needed help - that's all. Some people are so shallow - why is it that some have to be so personal about one's weight, colour, religion of what ever the case may be? Perhaps it's the only way they know to cope and to come to terms with their own personal issues. Get a life!!
Dee Williams
Sep 4th 2010, 11:01
Maybe just maybe this poor man cannot swim and i would imagine he was terrified when the waves washed him into the sea. I know i would have been and i'm a good swimmer, but try swimming against the water currents... it's most certainly difficult and hard work.
So before people start saying about his weight think of that!!
Hope you make a speedy recovery after more than likely swallowing plenty of the hopefully CLEAN water.
D. Farrugia
Sep 3rd 2010, 23:51
You stereotypical lot commenting on this man's weight are utterly disgusting. You seem to attribute obesity/overweight purely to an inappropriate diet or over-eating. You cannot be far from the truth. If their condition is hereditary then there is nothing much they can do to lose weight. Please stop insulting people who are already faced with their own problems. They surely do not need you to add that touch of salt.
C Galea
Sep 3rd 2010, 23:42
Show some respect guys!
The AFM did the best job they could, BUT with the rescue apparatus they had available.
If the rescued person had been a heavily pregnant woman or an elderly or wheel-chair bound person the operation would have been even more difficult for them.
The AFM needs to be equipped with life-saving apparatus to cater for EVERY human being, in whatever condition and of any shape or size. While being fit is desirable, a person is always a PERSON, if he or she is not the 'average' type it doesn't necessarily mean they are somewhat at fault. Let's not forget this is an unfortunate accident. I'm pretty sure the guy in question made all the necessary effort to save himself, as would have anybody else.
Chris Finch
Sep 3rd 2010, 22:33
If he was fitter, he would have swum to shore like his mate.
I wonder if this will be a wake up call to get himself fitter. His over eating has nearly killed him.
E Compagno
Sep 4th 2010, 08:16
Well, his picture and weight details have been splashed across the nations paper... what can be more embarrassing for someone who becomes an unexpected victim of any sort? And we are even given a number.. what did they do? Take a pair of weighing scales and weigh the guy?
Ahna l-maltin qisna boloh. Nistagbu mix-xejn u mohhna f' haddiehor. When that italian girl stripped near the tunnels, hundreds gawked, thousands read the article and the updates and many had judgment to pass and something to say. How many people stopped to genuinely help? No no, everything unusual (for our small minds) is a freak show
It's our own home grown sensationalism at it's best. OMG, the guy is fat. Not OMG the guy almost drowned in rough weather.. The irony is that if the armchair critics and gawkers swapped the guy with their mother, she too is probably overweight (thanks to our lovely bread, pastizzi, imqaret etc) and would have had trouble swimming in such conditions. And maybe if a heavy smoker fell in, he'd have trouble too. Would the press count how many cigarettes he smoked?
Jeremy Lanfranco
Sep 4th 2010, 09:18
If he swam to the shore he would have been battered on the rocks because of the rough sea. Better swim outwards and wait for rescue. His fitness is irrelevant to his ability to swim to shore. Its safety first.
M. Tabone
Sep 4th 2010, 11:17
Mr. Finch can you please keep such comments to yourself. Overweight people do not need comments from people such as you! Have you ever heard of the word 'courtesy'? What gives you the right to insult overweight people? Do you think slim people die much older than overweight ones? Or that they get ill more often? They may get different diseases but in the long run everyone has to leave this world! Including your good self!! Please keep such unkind comments to yourself in the future!! You have no God-given right to say such things! Especially in the case of a person who nearly lost his life!! May he be well soon.
Emmanuel Giordmaina
Sep 4th 2010, 11:43
Can you perhaps fly as your surname suggests? Don't be judgemental my friend and use your intelligence and creativity for the better.
J. J. Borg
Sep 4th 2010, 15:14
Chris Finch: if he was fitter he could have swam, you say. If you value decency, you would refrain from acting all high and mighty toward other people.
sandra pace
Sep 5th 2010, 15:26
@ chris finch why so personal is anybody perfect ? are you? why not thank the afm for helping him saving his life instead of being personal he is a human being! indeed in malta we never run out of sugar because we have a lot running out of our tongues!!!!
L Pace
Sep 3rd 2010, 20:34
Poor man!! Not good handling if this man suffered broken bones!
G Falzon
Sep 3rd 2010, 20:48
@L Pace
Easy and swift talk from a director's chair reading a paper report. Not even from one that was on the scene of the accident!
Roderick Peresso
Sep 3rd 2010, 21:52
forgive me, so you just reached to the conclusion that the man suffered bruises and ignored that he weighed 180 kg! Once you're jumping to conclusions and assumptions, why don't you assume that the soldiers and police did their best in the circumstances?!
wally vella-zarb
Sep 3rd 2010, 22:18
His bones seem to be more than adequately padded! I do hope that after he makes a complete recovery he tries to do something about his weight. There are so many people on this island of ours who do not realise the health hazards that being overweight brings.
J. Formosa
Sep 3rd 2010, 22:33
You must be joking! He weighs 180 kilograms for heaven's sake. Poor man indeed!
Eric Gahn
Sep 4th 2010, 09:42
Please tell us what YOU would have done had you seen this man in distress. Pull out a camera and post it on You Tube? Laugh at a big man man who could not save himself due to being unfit?
The AFM might have thier problems and issues but the men at SAR are pros and highly trained. For what they do, no reward, medal, fame or salary will ever be good enough yet they do it everyday without a thought . A call comes in and they go for it ready and prepared. The risk factor in these men's jobs is one of the highest around.
Do you have any idea what could have happened if at any point the 180kg man paniced while a rescuer was near him? Do you even realized that the resuers risked thier own skin to save this man? Do you even realise that had this happened in a grigalata, these men would have done the very same thing? I ask again: what would YOU have done.