Lifeguards stationed at the Blue Lagoon in Comino had a busy afternoon on Wednesday, rescuing seven swimmers from a sudden surge of water currents.

Team leader Marthiana Vella said it happened at about 5.25 p.m. when, suddenly, water currents increased and swimmers found themselves in difficulty and began to panic.

Six of the seven rescued were aged between 18 and 20 and the seventh man was in his 40s. They were all helped safely ashore in less than 30 minutes.

Ms Vella said she and her colleagues, Jahel Muscat and Chantelle Mercieca, did not realise there was a surge of water currents until two people seemed to be having trouble swimming. They jumped in and rescued one of the two, as the second refused help.

As soon as they reached shore, themselves finding it difficult to swim against the swell, they realised that another man was waving for assistance as he was being swept out of the Blue Lagoon.

Within a span of some 30 minutes, they rescued all seven people and all swimmers had, by then, reached the shore.

Three lifeguards from the Emergency Response and Rescue Corps are stationed at the Blue Lagoon daily until the end of September. The service is offered in collaboration with the Gozo Ministry, the Malta Tourism Authority, Transport Malta and the Civil Protection Department.

Ms Vella appealed to swimmers to avoid bathing in the Blue Lagoon when the red warning flag was flying.