A new hydro-ambulance will ferry injured bathers and sailers around Gozo and Comino to hospital.  

On Monday the specialised vessel, along with a new rescue jet ski, was unveiled by the Emergency Response and Rescue Corps (ERRC), a Gozo-based rescue NGO. 

The NGO provides lifeguard service in five Gozitan beaches and another two on Comino. 

Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli said that last year the ERCC had assisted more than 6,800 people.  

She said that thanks to a €350,000 investment from the Malta Tourism Authority, which helped fund the NGO and purchase the new equipment, the ERCC would be able to reach Comino from Gozo's Mġarr Harbour in just two minutes - potentially saving lives.