The two Britons who drowned in Comino on Saturday have been named as dentists Mehwish Kamran Shabir and Lyace Ali.
The two men died on Saturday after finding themselves in difficulty while swimming in strong currents at the Blue Lagoon in Comino.
According to reports, the two dentists, partners at The Sheldon Dental Practice in Birmingham, were on a bank holiday trip with a third man, Hussein Ahmed. Mr Ahmed managed to survive the accident.
Dr Ali, owner of two dental practices in Scotland, is survived by his wife and three young children. The family lived in Shirley, West Mids.
In comments to Express newspaper, Qumar Zamen, whose hardware shop is opposite the dental practice, said the men were popular in the area.
“Everybody knew them, and they were well-liked as well. It is very sad. They will be missed here,” he said.
People in the vicinity heard the two victims crying out for help, but were unable to save them and the Armed Forces of Malta were called to assist.
One of the men was taken to Mgarr, Gozo, by private boat where he was certified dead on arrival. The other man was airlifted to Gozo General Hospital by an AFM helicopter where he too was certified dead on arrival.