A German tourist who is still receiving treatment for injuries he sustained when a pontoon at Comino's Blue Lagoon capsized a fortnight ago is considering taking legal action against the Malta Maritime Authority.

He would be added to a list of claims for loss or damage to personal items that the authority, which installed the pontoon, has faced following the incident.

A spokesman for the authority said the claims would be assessed once the cause of the incident is determined.

Speaking to The Times from Germany, 22-year-old Thomas Gluch recounted that on July 5, he went to Comino with his three friends on the last day of their holiday.

"We took the ferry to Comino. It was a nice and sunny day as always in Malta. When we arrived at the Blue Lagoon we felt like we were in the Caribbean Sea. As we left the boat, we had to walk on the pontoon. We were immediately astonished at how the pontoon was wobbling, but we thought it wasn't dangerous since it was used for tourism."

He said he and his friends went swimming and had a good time.

"We really enjoyed Comino. We met these four cute girls from the north of Spain. After two hours of fun and relaxation, it was time for us to leave. The pontoon was crowded and rocking from one side to the other. We had to go on the pontoon anyhow because our ferry had already docked," Mr Gluch explained.

"To get on the ship we had to pass by this huge crowd of people. It started to shake heavily and people almost fell into the water on four occasions. Unfortunately, our ferry was too crowded and we could not get on it. My friend told us to go to the end of the pontoon because there was some more space and was not as crowded."

He said that after a while, another ferry arrived but they were not allowed on because the tickets they had were of another company.

As the boat approached, the pontoon continued to swing from side to side.

"All of a sudden, I heard people screaming and I realised that the pontoon was going to topple over. Seconds later I was wedged between the boat and the handrail of the pontoon with my chest stuck between the two. I thought: "That's it! I'm done".

"The next thing I remember is that I fell into the water. Usually it's not a great feeling to be under water with a boat and a pontoon above you but in this situation I felt great because I didn't have the pressure on my chest anymore. When I came up from under the water I was helped up onto a ferry which brought us back to Malta," he explained.

Mr Gluch said that when he got to Malta, there was a doctor who examined him and he was transferred to Mater Dei Hospital. He said he was administrated oxygen.

When he got to hospital, staff took an x-ray of his chest and carried out an ultrasound. He also had blood in his urine.

He said that after five hours in hospital, he was discharged and flew back to Germany the following morning.

When asked, he said he still felt pain in his chest, belly, back, arms and legs and has some trouble breathing. Doctors in Germany ordered him not to go to work for two weeks, with the possibility of getting an extension to his sick leave. His condition will continue to be checked by German doctors.

mxuereb@timesofmalta.com