Waterpolo players and divers haul 430kg of debris from seabed after Storm Harry

Waterpolo players joined a diving club on Saturday to clean up the seabed off the Sliema coast in the aftermath of Storm Harry bringing up 430kgs of waste.

The clean-up effort was led by former Sliema water polo player Mark Galea Pace who joined the Coast is Clear diving team alongside a number of volunteers as they cleared damaged metal structures, ladders and mixed waste from the sea between the Sliema water polo pitch and the chalet.

Divers recovering a ladder and other debris in the aftermath of Storm Harry. Photo: Coast is Clear

That stretch of the Sliema coastline was heavily battered during the storm with waves seen crashing several metres high over the promenade churning up debris. Gale-force winds stripped away large parts of the concrete surface of the former Sliema chalet.

Saturday’s clean-up saw youth players from the Sliema water polo club as well as divers from the heavily damaged Watercolors Dive Centre team up with the Coast is Clear Foundation.

The sports club has sustained “enormous” structural damage which is now spread all over the seabed.

“It was heart breaking seeing the dive centre totally wiped out too,” Galea Pace said.

“As a Sliema boy myself, I felt the least I can do is to try and retrieve any salvageable equipment and clean up the seabed from hazardous metal structures.”

Underwater footage showed metal railings and even the club’s swimming pool ladder stuck beneath masonry which had been dislodged during the storm.

The Coast is Clear foundation involved volunteers on land and divers from the Watercolors diving centre which was heavily damaged in Storm Harry. Photo: Coast is Clear

Galea Pace added he planned to organise further collaborations with other clubs in the coming weeks to give them a helping hand as well.

Earlier on Saturday, the NGO Żibel held six clean-ups involving 87 volunteers who worked for several hours to restore beaches in Xemxija, Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, Pembroke, St Julian’s and Sliema, removing debris swept ashore by strong winds and waves.

Metal railings and masonry from the heavily damaged diving centre and water polo club littered the seabed off Sliema after Storm Harry. Photo: Coast is Clear

A clean up in Marsascala, one of the worst hit areas, is planned for January 27.

A sizeable clean up operation kicked off on Wednesday as soon as the worst of the storm had passed, with teams of workers from the Cleansing and Maintenance Division being joined by shop workers, residents and volunteers.

The government is urging local councils to report any damage caused by Storm Harry that requires urgent attention to avoid causing harm to residents. 

On Thursday the Prime Minister announced a government recovery action plan following an extraordinary meeting to launch regeneration projects in the wake of the storm.

Robert Abela said that during the storm emergency services received 700 calls for assistance and Transport Malta intervened around 50 times through its officers to address road safety hazards caused by fallen trees, road signs and billboards.