The daughter of British yachtsman John Perkins has joined Marsaxlokk residents in expressing her sadness and shock at his tragic death on Thursday.
The 77-year-old died when his boat became unmoored in gale-force winds and smashed against the breakwater.
“I feel shocked and distressed. I can’t believe he had to die like that. I couldn’t even sleep thinking about him last night,” Rosario Caruana said.
Caruana runs a small fuel pump close to where the victim used to moor his boat and he was friends with the Briton.
“Unfortunately, the incident happened late in the evening, when we were all in our homes and there was no one here to help him when his boat became unmoored.”
On Friday, Perkins daughter paid tribute to the man on Facebook: "He loved the sea and now he will be part of it forever. We'd like to thank you all for being part of his journey".
Perkins’ body was found off the coast of Marsaxlokk yesterday morning but was not identified until later in the afternoon. It is unclear how the incident happened and investigations are still underway.
Some fish farm workers said they knew him because they would sometimes give him rides on their rubber boats to and from his yacht, whenever he needed to go to shore.
They said they’re shocked but “unfortunately, not quite surprised” because the man moored his boat to a buoy off the coast, so they had seen the boat battle the waves in bad weather before.
Among the victim’s belongings were shoes, cups, clothes, hangers, and some boat insurance papersA couple of them said they had even warned him not to stay out at sea during a southeast gale wind, such as the one that hit the bay on Thursday.
“The last time I gave him a ride was two weeks ago. On the way from his yacht to the shore, he told me he had a hospital appointment. I also gave him a ride on the way back and helped him carry some shopping back to his boat,” Kenneth Gauci said.
“He was a very nice man and I would sometimes tell him to be careful because he seemed overly brave.”
The weather was significantly calmer on Friday morning but the choppy, relentless sea was still pounding large sheets of crumpled metal against the rocks of the breakwater.
Personal belongings
Several pieces of the boat as well as the victim’s personal belongings could still be seen hitting against the battered breakwater.
The sea and the breakwater were also littered with the owner’s shoes, cups, shampoo bottles, hair spray, creams, clothes, blankets, toolboxes, a small suitcase, a trashed cooker, files, laminated papers, a small shovel, coat hangers, a mattress and an insurance certificate for the boat.
The police said they were informed on Thursday at around 7pm that the yacht had undocked and was crashing against the Marsaxlokk breakwater because of the high waves. An inquiry is being held and the police are investigating.
Remains of Perkins' boat and belongings. Photo: Mark Laurence Zammit
Remains of Perkins' boat and belongings. Photo: Mark Laurence Zammit
Remains of Perkins' boat and belongings. Photo: Mark Laurence Zammit
Remains of Perkins' boat and belongings. Photo: Mark Laurence Zammit
Remains of Perkins' boat and belongings. Photo: Mark Laurence Zammit