Tourist on Jet Ski Killed in Malta Arch Collapse

A sightseeing ride in Malta's famed blue waters turned deadly over the weekend when a seaside rock arch gave way without warning. Authorities say a 26-year-old Chinese tourist was killed Saturday evening after the natural structure on the tiny island of Comino collapsed onto his jet ski; his body was recovered from the seabed roughly a day later, trapped beneath large boulders, the Times of Malta reports.

The crash also badly injured a 27-year-old Chinese woman who was riding with him; she was taken to a hospital on Gozo. Police say the arch gave way under the weight of a 32-year-old American tourist who was preparing to jump into the water, Malta Today reports. He jumped seconds before the collapse and was pulled to safety by a passing boat. Authorities say he suffered slight injuries.

The difficult recovery operation involved army and civil protection divers and a crane mounted on a barge to remove debris before the body could be lifted out. CCTV footage from a nearby party barge helped investigators reconstruct the event. Camino, the smallest of Malta's inhabited islands, is famed for its diving, People reports. The Times reports that unstable rocks around Malta's coast are a growing cause of concern. Several areas have been fenced off after similar incidents, including one that killed a 22-year-old woman two years ago.