Boating community shocked by loss of 'remarkable man' in Ġnejna tragedy

Shocked friends and colleagues paid tribute on Sunday to 'remarkable man' Gregory O'Brien, 43, and his young son Logan, who lost their lives when their dinghy was hit by a fishing boat off Ġnejna Bay.

O'Brien was a well-known member of the boating community and operated a boat yard in Xemxija.

Warren Borg, 42, who kept his boat at O'Brien's yard, told Times of Malta he remembered him simply as a kind man.

"He was a man who was always ready to help," Borg said. "Last year when I had some family issues he was one of the people that helped me through that bad moment. Whenever I was at his yard, he would come near me with two cups of coffee and we would chat."

Jonathan Bugeja said the boating community had lost a truly remarkable man and his beloved son.

"He was always there whenever someone needed help, especially during difficult moments at sea," Bugeja said.

"I will personally never forget the times he helped me, just as he helped so many others without hesitation. This tragedy is deeply heartbreaking and difficult to comprehend. My thoughts and deepest condolences go out to the entire family and to everyone who had the privilege of knowing them. May they both rest in peace."

St Paul's Bay Primary, the school Logan attended, paid tribute in a Facebook post, describing the boy as a valued member of the school family.

"There are no words that can truly ease the pain of such a devastating loss," the school said. "Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathies are with Logan's mother, Pam, his brother and sister, their family, friends, and everyone whose lives were touched by Logan and Gregory."

The school said Logan would always be remembered for his beautiful smile and the memories he created with classmates and staff, adding that it would continue to support Logan's family and hold them close in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Sandra Gauci, leader of ADPD, said she used to teach O'Brien's children and was still in shock at the news.

Daniele Baraggioli, who worked alongside O'Brien for years repairing RHIBs, told Times of Malta, that he was a perfectionist who could always be relied on.

"It is difficult to find reliable people, people who kept their word as he did," he said. "He was a perfectionist, and always looking after the safety of the boats and cleanliness in the yard. We managed hundreds of clients together. He knew he could rely on me, and I knew I could rely on him. 100% and no excuses."

Baraggioli said O'Brien's eldest son was the same age as his own child, and recalled the two of them worked together with their children just weeks before the tragedy.

"Greg put his heart into everything he did. The local boating industry will feel  his loss dearly, and our grieving is shared with his family."

Photographer Claude Sammut, who knew O'Brien through the boating community and often had his own boat hauled ashore by him, said the news had left the community in shock.

"He was always friendly, exceptional at his work, hauling and handling boats with real care, treating every vessel as if it were his own, never rushing to the next job until the current one was done properly, and a genuinely nice guy to be around," Sammut said.

Sammut said the tragedy had brought back memories of an accident he and his family were involved in at sea in broad daylight, from which they escaped largely unharmed.

"We were incredibly fortunate. We got away with minimal damage, a pair of lost glasses, a few stitches above my father's eyebrow, and a story we were able to tell. Gregory and Logan haven't been as lucky," he said.

Jamie Galea, who went to school with O'Brien and grew up with him in St Paul's Bay, shared with Times of Malta that he had always been a hard worker and a family man.

"Greg and his son loved the sea and always looking forward to being there," Galea said. "His wife and his entire family have a good heart. It is a bad day for all."

Another childhood friend, Katia Borg, expressed her distress and said that rather than going for the village feast, the childhood friends would meet to remember Gregory as 'the great person he was.' 

RTK radio presenter Mark Azzopardi, a family friend, said the loss had been felt deeply at the school Logan attended, where he is also the deputy head.

"Logan was one of ours," Azzopardi said. "At our school, every child who walks through those doors becomes part of our family, and today we grieve as a family grieves, for Logan, and for his father, taken from us together in this tragedy."

Azzopardi addressed his message directly to O'Brien's widow, Pam, and the couple's other children.

"Words feel small in moments like this. To his mother Pam, brother and sister, family, and all who loved them both: our hearts are with you. We are here, and we will continue to be here, for as long as you need us."

On Sunday, afternoon celebrations at the St Paul's Bay feast were paused for a minute's silence in remembrance of the father and son.

The incident happened at around 1am on Sunday, when the dinghy carrying O'Brien and Logan was struck by a fishing boat. 

The pair had boarded the dinghy from a bigger boat offshore a short time earlier, police said.

The fishing boat was being steered by a 43-year-old man from Rabat. Officers from the Civil Protection Department launched a search after the alarm was raised, and the bodies of O'Brien and his son were recovered a short time later and brought to shore.

Magistrate Joe Mifsud is holding an inquiry. Police investigations are continuing.