Armed Forces of Malta personnel evacuated several individuals who found themselves in difficulty this afternoon.

The first operation involved rescuing three crew members of a Maltese registered vessel which was in distress off the coast of Malta. The crew members, including one Maltese citizen, were safely brought back to land with the assistance of the Italian Military Mission helicopter AB212.

In the second operation, 13 divers were reported to have found themselves in difficulty off Żurrieq. The divers were assisted by an AFM rescue swimmer who was dispatched from an Alouette helicopter. The helicopter was assisted by a civilian vessel.

All the divers have been brought to shore safely.