Father and son who drowned in Ramla Bay on family holiday are named

Updated 2.25pm

A British father and son who died after drowning while on holiday in Malta have been named.

Mohammad Qadoos, 37, and his son Ayan, 11, got into difficulties while swimming off Ramla Bay in Gozo on Monday. 

An Armed Forces helicopter was dispatched shortly after 1.15pm in an attempt to rescue the father and son but the boy was sadly declared dead after he was pulled from the water.

Following an intensive search by boat and helicopter, the body of his father was found on Wednesday morning between San Blas and Ramla Bay.

Mohammad's body was found days after his son drowned. Photo: Facebook

Tributes have been posted on social media from Pakistan and England as news of the tragedy was shared by their family and friends.

Mohammad had uploaded a poignant final photograph of himself overlooking the Mediterranean sea just three days before his death. 

One friend, Ahmed Bilal Raja, wrote on Facebook: "Never knew this picture would be your last picture...This sunset view, this peaceful evening is now just a painful memory.

"Our dear Mohammad Qadoos and his innocent son Ayan Qadoos have left us forever in a tragic accident that occurred on the coast of Ramla Bay off Malta".

Mohammed shared this picture of himself looking out on the Mediterranean sea on Friday, three days before the drowning incident.

A magisterial inquiry is being held into the drowning that happened in the final hours of the family's Malta holiday. 

The mother of the boy was on the beach with her two other younger children when tragedy struck. Other family members are understood to have flown out to Malta on Tuesday to support them.

The Meteorological Office had issued a warning about strong north-west winds hitting Malta on Monday.  It was the second drowning in Ramla Bay in a month, after a 43-year-old Polish man died there on October 8.

Following the latest tragedy, an emergency doctor called for a year-round flag warning system and an extension of lifeguard services on Malta's beaches. 

An Armed Forces helicopter was dispatched over Ramla Bay shortly after 1.15pm on Monday in an attempt to rescue the father and son. File photo: Shutterstock

Dr Jonathan Joslin said the latest incidents show that accidents at sea relating to swimmers is an all-year-round issue. 

The emergency consultant at Mater Dei Hospital said the incidents highlight a persistent gap in Malta’s approach to beach safety. 

“Our beaches are full of people, even throughout the winter months, as tourism numbers keep increasing,” he said.  

Currently, beach flag systems and lifeguard patrols are typically managed by NGOs such as the Malta Red Cross and St John Rescue Corps, under agreements with the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA).

These services, however, are suspended during the winter months, leaving swimmers and tourists without official safety supervision. 

Joslin said clear signage, permanent flag systems, and emergency call points could make a significant difference in response times during off-peak months. 

Sixteen people are known to have drowned since the beginning of the year, 13 of whom died in drowning incidents at sea.