Yacht runs down and kills fisherman - the story can now be told

A frejgatina, traditional Maltese fishing boat, of the type that Gatt Baldacchino was driving when the collision occurred SW

Yacht Sorcery in harbour at Malta © SW

Gatt Baldacchino was fishing around half a kilometre off Tigné on the Grand Harbour side when the sailing boat crashed into his boat throwing him into the sea. The accident happened at around 10am and the AFM were notified when another vessel issued an emergency call via VHF radio. The patrol boat Melita 2 was dispatched immediately and by 10:20am the man was already on his way to hospital in the ambulance.

He died almost an hour later in hospital after being picked up from the sea by an Armed Forces patrol boat that took him to a waiting ambulance at the maritime squadron base in Pietà. The elderly man’s boat was crushed by the impact and sank

The preliminary inquiry drawn up by maritime lawyer George Said, finalised over the past week, concluded that 'all the physical circumstances combined together made this incident very difficult for all of the parties concerned to avoid'. The magisterial inquiry still has to be concluded.

From the Zarb's perspective the story is as follows: With Mr Zarb at the helm, the couple were sailing slowly at eight miles per hour from Portomaso to Manoel Island where their 16-metre-long yacht, Sorcery, was booked for an underwater inspection.

It was a 15-minute journey that changed everything. At about 9.40 a.m. Mr Zarb heard a noise towards the bow. He immediately ­disengaged the engine and when he looked around he saw John Gatt Baldacchino hanging on to some flotsam, crying for help.

Nadya and John Zarb after the preliminary inquiry © SW

The report is not being published as it contains personal details of the people involved in the incident, particularly of Mr Gatt Baldacchino, but a copy seen by The Sunday Times of Malta shows how the Zarbs did their utmost to try to save the man.

The report also noted that Mr Zarb’s ability to see the frejgatina coming from the side was likely to have been impaired by the glare of the sun. The way the Sorcery was constructed, certain obstacles caused 'blind spots' further impeding visibility. The fact the frejgatina, which was moving at the time, was a grey-blue colour did not help either.

The report says: 'The most surprising dimension to this incident is that it would appear that either Mr Gatt Baldacchino did not see the Sorcery, or he was distracted, or he took the wrong evasive action, or his vessel suffered engine failure...'

At the time of the collision Mr Gatt Baldacchino’s boat was trailing two fishing lines, and based on evidence the report established that 'had he been wearing a life jacket, he wouldn’t have drowned'.

When Mr Zarb realised what happened he immediately radioed for help and threw a lifebuoy to the man and a rope, but in the confusion Mr Gatt Baldacchino let go of the lifebuoy.

Seeing him lose consciousness and slipping below the surface of the sea, Ms Zarb stripped down to her underwear and jumped into the sea, gripping his neck and holding his mouth up to keep him afloat.

Holding on to the rope, Mr Zarb pulled his wife and Mr Gatt Baldacchino towards the yacht. The report states that bearing in mind the man’s age and any possible injuries he may have sustained, Ms Zarb did not want to risk hauling him on board using a rope.

By then Mr Zarb too jumped in, and holding on to the yacht’s ladder they helped keep Mr Gatt Baldacchino’s head above water. But the sea was choppy and they kept rising and falling with the waves and they were all swallowing water.

In the meantime, another yacht, skippered by Alan and Gerda Crowe, came onto the scene. They sent a 2nd Mayday call and tried to help by throwing in their lifebuoy. Minutes later, the army rescue boat arrived, hauled Mr Gatt Baldacchino on board and sped off to shore where an ambulance was waiting. The man died soon after as a result of asphyxia due to ­drowning.

The Zarbs never asked for help assuming they could swim back safely to their yacht, little realising it had drifted quite a distance. The dramatic situation had been reversed and Mr Zarb, in particular, found himself in difficulty.

Luckily, the Crowes had returned to the area to retrieve their lifebuoy and saw the couple struggling in the sea. When contacted at their home in the Netherlands, Ms Crowe recalled how they ended up rescuing the Zarbs.

'The couple had risked their lives to save Mr Gatt Baldacchino. We found them at sea. Mr Zarb was in a bad shape and exhausted – they’re very lucky we turned back. The whole situation is sad for everybody and the experience has shocked us very much,' Ms Crowe said.

Looking back on the incident, the Zarbs live with the bitter experience, consoled only by the fact that they did their utmost to try to save Mr Gatt Baldacchino. 'I’m deeply sorry for the man and his family; the only comforting thing is that my conscience is clear,' Ms Zarb said.