Divers accuse AFM of heavy-handed rescue after ordeal off Gozo

Updated to include reaction by the AFM

Footage showing Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) personnel throwing divers’ equipment overboard and failing to provide basic care has raised serious questions about the handling of a rescue operation off Gozo on Friday – an ordeal the three French tourists involved described as “unnecessarily aggressive” and “surprising”.

The criticism comes from veteran divers Stephanie, Marie-Aude and Dominique, who were hauled aboard an AFM vessel after becoming stranded beneath Dwejra’s cliffs. All three insist they are grateful to have been found, but say the treatment they received after surfacing compounded an already traumatic experience.

Video of the rescue shows AFM personnel struggling against choppy waters to reach the group with a floating rescue buoy. Yet within seconds of pulling the first survivor, Stephanie, on deck, a rescuer removes her flippers and throws them back into the sea, followed moments later by her oxygen tanks – equipment worth several hundred euros.

Marie-Aude, who was brought aboard next, said she intervened only after seeing Stephanie’s gear tossed overboard.

“After they took off my flippers, I told them not to throw my equipment too,” she said. “It was unnecessary. I don’t know why they did that.”

Once all three were on deck, the divers say they received no blankets, despite being cold and exhausted, and no drinking water despite clear signs of dehydration. Stephanie, Marie-Aude said, was “seasick and struggling”, yet “nobody helped her”.

The AFM’s official statement offered no explanation for the crew’s conduct. It simply noted that the Rescue Coordination Centre dispatched a vessel after being notified that the trio, part of a larger diving expedition, had failed to return, and that they were safely transferred to Gozo General Hospital.

The incident began when an unexpected change in weather reduced underwater visibility just as a current pushed the divers off course. The group, with a combined 75 years of experience, including Dominique’s five decades in the water, deployed emergency floating devices and remained afloat for an hour and a half until help arrived.

“This could happen to anyone,” Marie-Aude said. “We thanked them for rescuing us, but we do not understand why it had to be this way.”

The AFM reacts

Following the publication of the article, the AFM said in a statement that “the operation was carried out in full accordance with established procedures, where the primary focus is always on saving lives rather than preserving material property, particularly in challenging conditions and rough seas.”

It said that the footage “clearly illustrates the demanding circumstances faced by AFM rescuers, where a rapid response was essential to safeguard the individuals in distress. In such operations involving multiple personnel, maintaining a clear deck free of equipment or rigging is mandatory to ensure the safety of both the rescued persons and AFM personnel.”