A 49-year-old man from Ghajnsielem died yesterday evening at Ramla l-Hamra, Gozo, after he found himself in difficulty at sea, police said.

Onsite investigations revealed that the man went to help his children who were struggling at sea when for some reason, he found himself in distress while trying to swim back to shore.

Members of the Civil Protection Department were the first to arrive at the scene of the accident. They administered first aid but he died before an ambulance arrived.

Duty Magistrate P. Coppini appointed various experts to help conduct an inquiry.

Police investigations are under way.