For many people, locals and tourists alike, Golden Bay is synonymous with suitably golden sands, panoramic views and Darren Cutajar – hailed by many as Malta’s best car park attendant.

It is a label the 30-year-old shrugs off embarrassedly, as he cheerfully goes about his job of managing the car park, still unoccupied and pristine when I meet him early in the morning.

His humble, helpful and unassuming demeanour had already been recognised back in 2009, when he was awarded the MTA Star Award by the tourism authority.

Darren Cutajar met Jacob Cachia after a two-year absence but the Cachia family did not forget Mr Cutajar’s kindness.

But more recently, his name and photograph, taken as he wrapped his arm around 17-year-old Jacob Cachia, appeared in the Facebook group The Salott and racked up nearly 1,000 likes and an avalanche of positive comments.

Jacob’s mother Sarah captioned the photograph with a short paragraph recalling the first time her family met Mr Cutajar over two years ago, when Jacob was still battling a rare, brain infection.

It had been the Cachias’ first outing after Jacob developed the infection. After emerging from a restaurant, the weather had turned stormy and there was a car blocking their access to their own car.

“Darren went over and beyond his duty that day,” Ms Cachia wrote.

“He lifted my limp, invalid son out of the wheelchair to place him in the passenger seat. I was so happy I cried that day. I gave him €10 which he did not want.

“I will never forget his act of kindness that day and neither will I forget the look of joy on his face at seeing Jacob now.”

And it seemed that a hundred others shared Ms Cachia’s view, waxing lyrical about Mr Cutajar’s patient, helpful and sunny disposition as well as his excellent parking management skills in the midst of the summer, when the bay is at its busiest.

“This man is a top bloke!” one woman wrote.

“I never mind paying him a bit extra. I even leave my keys with him when there isn’t any parking for him to park my car when a spot becomes available. 100 per cent trustworthy!”

I will never forget his act of kindness that day

Another added that she always used him as an example when people said that parkers were rude.

“Helpful, patient and doesn’t demand a tip (even if he deserves every penny he gets) – if only we could clone him and place a Darren in every car park in Malta!”

Mr Cutajar was overwhelmed with the positive response, adding that the highlight of his day was seeing Jacob flourish into a tall young man.

“I didn’t forget the day I first met Jacob and his family. My heart went out to them. But I only did what I would normally do. Sometimes I help the elderly park their cars, or else I help out mothers handling baskets, coolers and little children.

“It’s so wonderful to feel appreciated.”

Mr Cutajar, who has been working as a car park attendant for the past 12 years, is married to Nadine, with whom he has a two- and-a-half-year-old son.

Life as a car park attendant is not always easy, and Mr Cutajar faces very long hours under the scorching sun. He earns his living from the tips he is given, as car park attendants are not provided with a wage, prompting him to work hard in summer to make up for the harsh winter months.

He works every single day during the summer, generally from 8am until 7pm – “bad weather is my off day,” he says.

The best things about his job are the people he meets and the view, he says with a twinkle in his eye.

Over the years, he has made countless friends from the car park – even being invited to weddings and barbecues.

The most memorable person he met was Stephen Brown, an Englishman who visited Malta frequently with his family. The two bonded so much that Mr Brown invited Mr Cutajar and his wife to his cottage in the UK. The Cutajars even spent their honeymoon at Mr Brown’s cottage, shortly before the Englishman died at the age of 42.

“Sometimes the job can get exhausting – but I suppose it will be hard to get used to being inside four walls, when this is my office,” he says, gazing out into the horizon.