Search called off as 'missing' Italian girls return to hotel

A search mounted late yesterday afternoon by the Armed Forces of Malta and the police for two Italian girls who were reported missing while on an outing in Comino was called off after about two hours, when they returned to St George's Park, St Julian's, where they are staying.

The girls, aged 15 and 16, who came to Malta to study English, went to Comino with a group of about 50 students and their leaders on the vessel Karwela.

When it was time for the Karwela to return to Malta, the leaders realised that two of the girls were missing. It was presumed that they had missed the boat and that they must have boarded another boat carrying a different group, but the leaders took no chances.

Initially, they searched for them themselves but later informed the police, who in turn informed the AFM.

The AFM duty officer said when contacted that the search started around 5 p.m. with a helicopter, a rescue launch and divers on a dinghy.

The search was carried out around the Blue Lagoon.

However, it was called off when the girls returned to St George's Park at around 7 p.m.