Safety at Sea regulations stipulate that boats should steer 100 metres clear of snorkellers’ buoys but some “cowboy” drivers still whizz close by at full throttle, disregarding safety, according to professional diver Daryl Borg Cardona.
You usually see speedboats passing at full throttle close to shore
A director of aquatics in St Paul’s Bay who organises diving courses, Mr Borg Cardona said incidents happened every summer but there were near-misses too that never made it to the papers.
Unfortunately, snorkeller Charles Brignone was not one of these. The 44-year-old was hit by the propeller of a boat on Sunday at Marsascala. His body was found on the seabed the following day.
By law, a boat cannot do over 10 knots if within 200 metres of the shore and 300 metres from a sandy beach. But overspeeding was not restricted to the roads; at sea it was “rampant”, said Mr Borg Cardona.
In light of the accident, he yesterday called for more enforcement and respect of sea safety regulations. Snorkellers, he said, could not put their mind at rest because there were “many boat owners” who completely ignored the rules.
“You usually see speedboats passing by at full throttle close to shore.
“You can’t really practise a sport with such rampant abuse.”
He said snorkellers were bound by law to have a buoy. This would usually be orange or red, with a flag attached to it.
If the snorkeller gets into the sea from a boat, the flag should be blue and white, while if from land the flag should be white and red.
The meaning of different flags is taught at basic navigation courses, which must be attended by everyone who needs to obtain a boat licence. A licence is required for those driving a boat with engines as small as 30 horsepower.
Mr Borg Cardona said a snorkeller should stay within 50 metres of the buoy, which can be purchased for as little as €10. Usually, the slack is around 30 metres because it allows the snorkeller to dive down without the buoy stopping him.
Moreover, regulations also stipulate that boats have to keep a distance of 100 metres from the buoy, giving the diver “ample clearance”.
This, he said, was “more often than not” ignored, with boats often presenting a peril both scuba divers and snorkellers.
Despite this, having a buoy did not mean one was safe, he said; it was just a precaution.
Divers had to keep a constant lookout for boat owners had either not caught sight of the buoy or chose to ignore it.
He explained that at sea, distances were very hard to calculate.
Moreover, the sun’s position and its reflection on the sea made it even more difficult for a boat driver to realise there was someone in the water.
Snorkellers are not restricted in terms of how far from shore they can venture. Mr Borg Cardona said the more experienced divers tended to choose the more “professional” spots for their dives.
The Sikka Tal-Munxar, about one kilometre off shore outside St Thomas Bay, was a popular reef for some specialised divers.
Asked about enforcement, Mr Borg Cardona said Transport Malta and the police Administrative Law Enforcement section were carrying out spot checks and their presence was serving as a deterrent.
However, he called for more frequent patrols during peak hours, especially from 4p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays, when boats were returning after a day out at sea.