A 59-year-old Briton died tragically yesterday after finding himself in difficulty while snorkelling in Qawra.

The incident took place at around 4.10pm when the man, who was quite distant from the shore, seemed to be in difficulty.

Onlookers notified the authorities who immediately dispatched an Armed Forces of Malta helicopter, an ambulance and Civil Protection Department vehicles. The man was airlifted to St Luke’s Hospital but died despite attempts to revive him, the police said yesterday.

Duty Magistrate Lawrence Quintano appointed a number of court experts to assist in an onsite inquiry.