Civil Protection Department divers feared for their lives as they conducted a search for a diver who had been caught underwater at the Palumbo shipyards, a court heard today.

Six Palumbo shipyard directors are charged with involuntary homicide after an experienced diver and marine biologist got sucked into a gate valve while attempting to fix an underwater mechanism.

In February 2015, Patrick Joseph Vella, a diver from Zejtun, lost his life in an accident at the Palumbo Shipyards. He was called in to repair a faulty underwater mechanism that was used to empty the drydock. He died from asphyxia due to drowning after being sucked into a gate valve.

This morning, several Civil Protection Department (CPD) officials, as well as officials from the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM), took the stand and relayed their version of events after being called to the scene to retrieve Mr Vella's body.

The various witnesses who took the stand said that once it was discovered that Mr Vella was stuck under water, it did not take long for the rescuers to arrive at the scene. Many officials testified that there was a legitimate concern about removing Mr Vella physically, due to the risk of getting sucked into the same gate valve in the same way that the victim did. The victim’s body was thus retrieved via a cable or rope hanging from a crane, that was used to lift the body without running the risk of another rescuer getting stuck in the same valve.

In addition, it was also transpired that a measuring tape (rutella) was found just a few metres away from the hole by the underwater mechanism that had been causing the suction.

The six directors have pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them. The directors are Italian Antonio Palumbo, Giuseppe Palumbo, Raffaele Palumbo, Giogrio Flippi, as well as their Maltese colleagues Joseph Calleja and March Grech, from Santa Venera and Zabbar respectively.

Magistrate Josette Demicoli presided over the case, while lawyers Gianella de Marco and Matthew Brincat represented the accused and lawyer Carlos Bugeja was parte civile for the family of the victim. Inspector Josrick Mifsud prosecuted.