Beach tragedies spark calls for national CPR training

The Malta Resuscitation Council has called for a national policy on life-saving training starting from school age after two serious drowning incidents on Maltese beaches on Saturday, warning that fewer than 40 per cent of cardiac arrest victims receive CPR from bystanders.

"The latest local data shows that provision of bystander CPR is just under 40% - this in a country where it is rare to be alone," the council said in a statement on Sunday.

It argued that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training should be embedded in the national curriculum to ensure future generations are equipped with the skills needed to act quickly in life-threatening emergencies.

The appeal came as emergency medicine consultant Jonathan Joslin called for a stronger community response to prevent drownings, particularly involving children.

"Pediatric drowning incidents are particularly heartbreaking because they are so often preventable," Joslin said.

He urged parents and carers to ensure there is always "constant, uninterrupted adult supervision around water" and called for private pools to be secured with appropriate barriers, self-closing gates and alarms where possible.

"Vigilance must be continuous, not occasional," he said.

While welcoming the presence of Malta Red Cross lifeguards at several beaches, Joslin noted that their coverage is limited to designated locations and operating hours.

"Many incidents occur outside these zones—in private pools, unsupervised beaches, or during moments when vigilance lapses," he said, stressing that lifeguards "cannot replace personal responsibility and awareness".

He also highlighted the importance of immediate action before emergency services arrive.

"When a drowning occurs, every second counts. Brain injury can begin within minutes without oxygen," Joslin said.

"Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), airway management and early recognition of cardiac arrest should not be seen as specialised knowledge reserved for healthcare professionals. These are essential life skills that should be embedded within our society."

Momentum also called for a national first aid campaign, proposing compulsory first aid training in secondary schools and linking first aid certification to the acquisition of a driving licence.

The appeals follow two separate incidents on Saturday in which bystanders administered CPR before emergency services arrived.

A 15-year-old boy died after he was found unconscious in the sea at Xgħajra. He was spotted by passer-by Jeremy Camilleri, who raised the alarm after noticing the teenager lying face down and motionless in the water. Two women pulled him ashore and performed CPR until an ambulance arrived, but he later died in hospital.

In a social media video, Camilleri appealed for greater public awareness of first aid, saying he felt helpless because he did not know how to respond beyond calling the emergency services.

In a separate incident later that evening, a toddler was pulled unconscious from the sea at Marsaxlokk. Relatives administered first aid before she was taken to Mater Dei Hospital, where she remains in a serious condition.

Separately, the Malta Resuscitation Council said it recently launched a Cardiac Arrest Survivor Network, a peer support group for cardiac arrest survivors, their carers and those who have helped save lives through resuscitation as it acknowledged that emotions related to being either a cardiac arrest survivor or carer “can be heavy”.