The edge of Cominotto is still being used as a dangerous springboard for cliff jumping, despite warning signs that were erected after eight tourists recently suffered spinal injuries.

The Sunday Times of Malta witnessed several Italian teenagers waiting for their turn to leap into the sea below, ignoring the signs warning of serious injury or death.

Meanwhile, this newspaper obtained leaflets from tour operators marketing cliff jumping as one of the activities people can do on Comino.

The youths are boarding the pleasure cruise boats enticed by the prospect of leaping off the cliffs as soon as they arrive on the islet.

As Italian holidaymaker Giulio Maisto, 19, hesitantly inched towards the precipice, while a crowd of teenagers waited at the foot of cliff egging him on.

“Don’t stand there thinking about it,” his friend and daredevil of the group, Alessandro Mazzucchelli, urged from behind him, as the crowd’s chants filled the air.

Everyone’s doing it and everyone’s looking at you; I can’t be the one chickening out

“You’re afraid of the rocks below. I know what I’m saying. Don’t think, just jump.”

Adrenaline pumping through his veins, Mr Maisto leapt forward, sliced through the air and landed tail first – barely a metre away from the jutting rocks.

If someone told you to jump off a cliff...

The onlookers broke into loud applause and, as he emerged from the water, his friends rushed to congratulate him.

“Wow, that was amazing. My legs are still trembling,” he said breathlessly.

Did he check the seabed for any submerged rocks before taking the plunge?

“No, but Alessandro checked it yesterday with his mask. It’s very deep,” he told The Sunday Times of Malta.

Yet while the sea is indeed deep, the cliff face is not perpendicular. At one point, a boat sailed through some 100 metres away. It created a ripple which disrupted the calm spot where the youngsters were leaping into. Luckily, no one was in the sea at that moment.

Emboldened by Mr Maisto’s leap, two other teenage Italians made their way up Cominotto to take the plunge. As they reached the top, they froze momentarily next to one of the warning signs.

But as the rest of the teenagers whipped out their mobile phones to capture Mr Mazzucchelli’s 21-metre leap, their hesitation was quickly forgotten in the excitement.

Has he ever jumped from such a height before?

“No, this is my highest jump ever,” he replied.

“But you have to attempt the jump gradually, starting from lower points and progressively increasing the height. The adrenaline rush is great.”

He is unfazed by the fact that eight other leapers before him suffered spinal injuries.

“I’m not afraid of spinal injuries, I don’t know why. But I’m afraid of other things. Some people enjoy speeding with their motorbikes for instance. It’s essentially the same thing. I prefer jumping. It’s a challenge you set versus yourself.”

One of the leapers, 18-year-old Alessandro Bamfi, slightly injured his chest a day earlier. Undeterred, he was back at the cliff edge.

“I plucked up the courage to leap. Everyone’s doing it and everyone’s looking at you; I can’t be the one chickening out.”

The youngsters shrugged off questions about what their parents know about their diving exploits.

Most of the leapers entered the water cleanly. Yet one of them landed on his backside with a painful-sounding splash. As the crowd sharply drew in its breath, he flashed an OK sign while still partially submerged.

Some people enjoy speeding with their motorbikes. It’s essentially the same thing

While the youngsters were leaping off Cominotto, two members of the Emergency and Response Rescue Corps watched from their stand on Comino, across the Blue Lagoon.

When asked why they did not attempt to stop them, one of the lifeguards said they were normally ignored by the youngsters.

“It’s not worth crossing all the way to Cominotto and leaving the bay unattended.”

So is there such a thing as a “safe” jump?

When contacted, consultant orthopaedic surgeon Frederick Zammit Maempel explained that to make a jump “safer”, one must avoid uncontrolled bending or arching of the neck or back at the moment of impact with the water surface.

“I believe that one instinctively tries to do this by bracing oneself or tensing all muscles at the critical moment of impact. When the two do not coincide, that’s when damage is liable to happen.”

The risk can be further mitigated if one adopts the “thin end of the wedge”, using the limbs to part or slice through the water surface before the head or tail reaches it.

This is a technique that Olympic divers perfect so that they barely make a splash when entering the water.

Damage to the spinal cord can result in loss of power in all four limbs. Internal organs can also be damaged.

After hitting the water, a person can then dissipate energy to come to a halt by gliding through the water. However, injury may occur if this energy dissipation is too sudden, such as hitting the seabed or entering the water without being streamlined.

Words of warning

Kim Dalli speaks to three men who suffered spinal injuries after jumping into the water

Clifford Portelli, 34, sustained a spinal cord injury aged 16 when he dived off Żonqor Point, Marsascala. He is advocacy leader of NGO Breaking Limits and founder of pressure group Spinal Cord Injury Malta.

“I never imagined the consequences of jumping. When you’re young, you feel invincible. The adrenaline surges through you.

In the past, there was less awareness. There were no barriers and signs. I had been jumping from the exact same spot for three years prior to my incident.

Spinal cord injuries are very complex. I only got to know of the repercussions following my incident. Landing into the water is not a ‘soft landing’ – water can be very damaging. When I was 16, my life stopped. While my friends went to boarding school, I attended another type of boarding school – a UK hospital, where I spent eight months.

The key is more awareness on spinal cord injuries, which unfortunately is lacking – we need more media exposure outlining the condition and more specialised care systems.

Tour operators would be wise to raise awareness with their clients regarding the dangers of leaping off cliffs.

If I were once again young and able-bodied, it wouldn’t even cross my mind for a split of a second to continue jumping.”

Tonio Mercieca, 50, had a spinal cord injury aged 14 when he dived at Balluta Bay, St Julian’s. He now has a passion for flying and gliding.

“When you’re young, you’re juvenile and reckless. I’d advise these youngsters to think twice before jumping, especially from heights. The consequences can be harsh – you could end up paralysed for life.”

 

Darren Douglas, 45, sustained a spinal cord injury aged 18 when he dived into a swimming pool. He has a passion for songwriting and web designing.

“I think it would be a good idea for these youngsters to meet people with spinal cord injuries. It would open their eyes and make them think twice before attempting such jumps.

Such a hobby is really not worth it for a few seconds’ adrenaline.

There are myriad other safer hobbies one can engage in.”