Updated with additional information on 01/07/2025
The latest accident at the Cirkewwwa Marine Park again resulted in a diver having to be treated out in the sun for 30 minutes, save for shade provided with towels and umbrellas sourced from bystanders*. Unfortunately today we received the news the diver, Dione Galdes, passed away.
On Sunday, right after the accident, we sent another reminder to the relevant authorities to allocate empty rooms at Cirkewwa to the park for use of the diving community, one of which would be as first aid treatment rooms. These might not have changed the ultimate fate of Dione, but may give in future better opportunity for resources to at least, provide privacy and reduce the strain on those assisting and around.
Following today’s publication in the Times of Malta of excerpts from the email sent on Sunday, we are publishing the full letter addressed to the Primie Minister and several other ministers and relevant senior government officials below.
To date, we did not even receive an acknowledgement.
Dear Hon Prime Minister,
Kind but serious reminder on the divers’ petition calling for improvements at Ċirkewwa Marine Park.
Today another case was witnessed where the lack of assignment of two empty rooms owned by Transport Malta but currently assigned to Gozo Channel Operations Limited at the edge of the park to the Marine Park led to a much loved local diver known by all the local diving community having to be treated on the pavement following a serious accident. This despite the possibility of being treated inside an onsite clinic as one of the rooms could be turned in.
Furthermore, all treatment in full view of arriving local divers, diving tourists and passer-bys for close to 30 minutes being given CPR in almost 40 degrees of sun until an ambulance from Mater Dei arrived, leading to other divers being affected mentally as well! Police also stood by with the diver’s equipment up to at least midday – again, not a nice view which further affects divers coming for an enjoyable experience!
In the meantime, the diving site was again busy almost to beyond capacity, and the parking area in front of the same two rooms as per diver’s suggestions could have served better to alleviate overcrowding. Instead it’s continuing to be misused as Free Parking by Damjan Transport of Gozo and possibly others, as pictures attached show, instead of being integrated within the park as per our suggestions.
This is again counter-intuitive to the hundreds of thousands of euros being spent on marketing & setting up of the Ċirkewwa Marine Park, and marketing the islands as a premier diving destination.
Your swift action is kindly solicited so we don’t have to continue seeing our buddies – also local voters if that still means anything – and tourists being treated on the floor in all weather conditions despite empty facilities being a stone’s throw away.
We’re copying this communication to local media and diving organisations and we’re pretty sure this will AGAIN be picked up in international divers’ media.
Some self-respect please, let’s act now!
* Update on 01/07/2025: Information added following contact by first responders on site. Apologies for any inconvenience, and thanks for their support.