Boat owners are quizzed over death of snorkeller
Charles Brignone died after being hit by the propeller of a boat while snorkelling last Sunday.
The police are speaking to boat owners as part of their investigations into the death of Charles Brignone who was hit on the head by a propeller while snorkelling in Żonqor last Sunday.
Sources said the investigations were hinging on information given by members of the public who were pointing officers to boats that were or could have been in the area at the time of the accident.
“We have suspects who we are speaking to and inspecting their boats but we have nothing concrete in hand,” the sources said.
It was impossible to establish the size of the boat going only by the fatal head injuries sustained by Mr Brignone and this made investigations doubly hard, the sources added.
Mr Brignone, an avid snorkeller, was on his annual family camping trip in Żonqor, limits of Marsascala, when he went snorkelling at about 10 a.m. When he did not return by mid-afternoon his wife, Josianne, called for help. His body was found the following morning.
An autopsy indicated he died of skull lacerations, which sources said could have been caused by a propeller. As a result, the police are treating the case as involuntary homicide.
Mrs Brignone said she was willing to forgive the person who hit her husband and called on both boat owners and snorkellers to be careful when out at sea.
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Pule' Carmel
Aug 11th 2012, 15:11
If readers enter the following site on Google they will see that every aircraft in and every ship containing the right electronic equipment can be seen, describing the speed, the name of the boat and sometimes even the departure and arrival and also the photograph of the plane or the ship or yacht.
Yeaterday I followed Jean De La Vallette from Scicily to Malta where it showed it travelling at 34 knots and then at 9 knots while in harbour right down to landing and berthing.
Look these sites up and may be every one boat will have this equipment installed and not just the White or Port and Starboard light..
Marine Traffic.com
Flight Radar
You will be amaised what is available to day, even I as an engineer am so surpirised with what I see on these picture.
Please comment.
F Williams
Aug 11th 2012, 18:42
What an interesting site thanks.
Margaret Galea
Aug 11th 2012, 15:10
I think all boat owners should slow down when they near the shore. Not all swimmers like to swim in beaches. Especially does who like to dive
Sandra Pace
Aug 11th 2012, 14:27
When a large object hits a propeller some damages may have occured, have they checked if any boats after the incident had been sent it for repairs as that is a potential lead ...
Margaret Galea
Aug 11th 2012, 12:40
I think all boat owners should slow down when they near the shore. Not all swimmers like to swim in beaches. Especially does who like to dive
Michael Owen
Aug 11th 2012, 12:17
I can believe this happened. I was in my sailing dinghy in St. Paul's Bay last summer and a tour boat came out from Xemxia with the captain at the back mopping the floor. No one was actively steering the boat. He did not see me and I had to take evasive action to avoid being hit.
I have heard of captains setting the auto pilot close to shore and going below to get a drink.
Total lack of regard or consideration for other boaters and swimmers.
Mr Tony Gatt
Aug 11th 2012, 14:41
I think they hardly warrant the name of captain- skippers maybe.
Charles Sammut
Aug 11th 2012, 11:40
How about the men in blue asking for the assistance of Scotland Yard or the FBI before the trail gets too cold and all will be forgotten without the crime being solved, just as what happened in the case of the two deaths in Sliema involving the husband of Anglu Xuereb's daughter!
...and the beat goes on...and the beat goes on......
Martin Saliba
Aug 11th 2012, 12:09
Are you sure it was a crime ? Do you know of anything that the police do not ? Are you sure who was at " fault " regarding the accident ? I dont think so . Unless someone saw what happened and comes foward noone will know. It is not right to speculate and put the blame on someone who for all we know is also a victim in this tragedy.
...and the beat goes on...and the beat goes on
James Tyrrell
Aug 11th 2012, 12:26
I don't think the case went 'cold' in Sliema. The word is that certain people wanted the investigation, if it could be described as such, dropped!
GL Calleja
Aug 11th 2012, 16:29
Mr Tyrrell I tend to agree with you. We are Maltese and we do as we please, because in this country money talks and bullshit walks. The government can legally take over your property to accommodate their constituents and you can never get your property back. Entertainment noise is very rampant and nobody has the authority or the cahunas to stop it. The government made a mess of Air Malta and nobody claims responsibility like nobody is claiming responsibility for the Arriva fiasco and or the Mellieha/Cirkewwa disastrous Project.. And that is only the tip of the ice-berg.
Charles Sammut
Aug 12th 2012, 06:55
@ Martin Saliba....if the police "are treating it as an involuntary homicide"..it IS a crime! It is w ell known fact that cowboy speedboat drivers are rampant in our waters. Have you ever heard of a speedboat driver being taken to court by the police for speeding close to shore and swimmers?
..and please, think of something original...
@ James and GL... I fully concur with you guys with regards to the Sliema "investigation"..this is why I suggested that outside Investigators be brought in ..besides having more experience, Scotland Yard and the FBI are fully impartial and they wouldn't give two hoots who's who in the island in the sun.
...and the beat goes on...and the beat goes on....
Martin Saliba
Aug 12th 2012, 11:26
@Charles Summut.
Any death caused by others is considered as involantary homicide until the person reponsable for the death is found to have caused such death through negligence of his own or not responsable throuigh negligence of the victim. So while it is treated as a crime it is not neccaseraly a crime. With regard to being original i was being sarcastic ...and the beat goes on...and the beat goes on......
J Galea
Aug 11th 2012, 10:26
In aviation the registration numbers and markings of aircraft have to be of a certain minimum size. Why not quickly make this law for boats of a certain speed and size so mariners are more careful and onlookers can actually identify any boats involved in incidents when reporting these to the authorities. This person's death requires a response by the authorities. Let's see what best practice exists out there and adopt it.
HENRY FENECH AZZOPARDI
Aug 11th 2012, 12:02
Okay granted more adequate markings should be put on the boats such as in Italy with 10 inch number markings but what about the diver themselves.
I happened to be going down to the place called il hofra early in the afternoon of Tuesday and at a distance I noticed no less than four ball markings well out from the shore in a place called is sikka tal munxar off St Thomas Bay. To be exact this was beyond one kilometer from shore and the boats have as off shore limit of 200-300 metres to drive at acceptable speed beyond these measurements
My concern is that having markings on the boat does not in any way protect the diver but only maybe identify the boat that hits the diver. I consider this is a little too late to save a tracedy.
In my case I could identify what looked like fish farm markers at a certain distance that these were divers markings when I approached with caution and drove past.
In my opinion legislation should be aimed to cater for more responsibility from the divers and the drivers since I doubt how much very high powered speedboats will have time to realise and expect a diver one kilometer out at sea. If need be yellow buoys with speed limits should cordone this sikka or the divers prohibited from frequenting this area which is very risky.
As things are no one is to blame and both divers and drivers are responsible. I am convinced that no one in his senses wanted any accident to happen but the area is a trap with the present conditions, and more vigilance is required by both parties.
Peter Murray
Aug 11th 2012, 09:29
The size of the boat does not neccessarily indicate the size of the boats engine.Was it an outboard or inboard engine?All investigations are welcome to solve this case but this avenue is a particularly difficult one to explore
Mr Tony Gatt
Aug 11th 2012, 10:40
It's hard to believe the people in the boat didn't know they had hit an underwater object.
Charles Muscat
Aug 11th 2012, 12:19
You are absolutely wrong and have no idea what you are talking about. For example A 5 meter boat must not have a bigger engine than 90 h/power, regardless if it was an inboard or out board.
Peter Murray
Aug 11th 2012, 12:22
Thats true Tony but not impossible if travelling very fast and still extremely difficult for the police to prove that it was a particular boats propeller that was the culprit,That was my point!
James Tyrrell
Aug 11th 2012, 12:30
@Mr Tony Gatt. Of course they knew, and if they deliberately left this gentleman to die then it should be homicide not involuntary homicide.
Please choose the reason of your report below: