Saturday's tragic accident off Comino, in which a 26-year-old tourist lost his life after a natural rock arch collapsed onto a passing jet ski, should first and foremost be remembered for the human tragedy it has left behind.

A family has lost a loved one, another tourist suffered grievous injuries, and many questions remain unanswered. A magisterial inquiry will now establish exactly what happened and whether the collapse could have been foreseen.

That process should be allowed to take its course without speculation. At the same time, the tragedy should prompt a broader discussion: the importance of public safety in a country whose natural landscape is both one of its greatest attractions and, at times, one of its greatest risks.

Malta is blessed with dramatic coastlines, steep cliffs, rocky inlets and rugged terrain that attract thousands of locals and tourists every year.

Yet these same natural features are constantly changing. Cliffs erode under the force of the sea, weather conditions gradually weaken rock formations, and repeated human activity in the same areas can also contribute to deterioration over time.

What appears perfectly stable one day may no longer be so months or years later.

That does not mean every dangerous area should be fenced off or every scenic location closed to the public. Nature, by its very definition, carries risks that can never be completely eliminated. But neither should those risks simply be accepted once they become known.

People have a responsibility to act with caution. Common sense remains the first line of defence. Ignoring warning signs, climbing unstable rock formations or venturing into areas that appear unsafe are decisions that carry consequences.

However, responsibility does not end there.

Authorities also have a duty to continuously identify, assess and monitor locations where risks are known or reasonably foreseeable.

Where hazards are identified, appropriate measures should follow. In some places, warning signs may be sufficient. In others, barriers, restricted access or even temporary closures may be the only responsible course of action until experts determine that an area is safe.

The tragic death of 22-year-old Mirabelle Falzon in Marsascala in July 2024 remains a painful reminder of why this matters. She lost her life after a rockfall from a dilapidated battery near Munxar, with reports indicating that concerns about the dangerous area had been raised with the authorities months before the tragedy occurred.

Whether those warnings could have prevented what happened is ultimately beside the point. They demonstrate why reports of potential dangers should always be treated with urgency rather than allowed to gather dust.

More recently, Mellieħa Mayor Gabriel Micallef warned that dangerous parts of Imġiebaħ Bay should be completely closed off, despite warning signs, and even suggesting the placement of boulders if necessary to prevent access.

Whether that specific solution is adopted is not the central issue. His wider argument deserves consideration: warning signs alone do not remove danger if people can still freely enter hazardous areas.

Safety measures will not always be popular. Closing access to a beach, coastal path or beauty spot inevitably inconveniences people and may attract criticism. Yet temporary inconvenience is a small price to pay if it prevents another family from receiving devastating news.

It is also hoped that the magisterial inquiry into Saturday's tragedy sheds more light on exactly what happened and why.

If it identifies shortcomings or recommends improvements to safety measures, the government and the relevant authorities should take those recommendations seriously and implement them wherever possible.

No country can completely eliminate natural hazards, and no authority can guarantee that accidents will never happen.

However, there is an important difference between accepting that nature carries risks and accepting preventable dangers that had already been identified.

Ultimately, safety is not about reacting after tragedy strikes. It is about recognising potential dangers early, acting before lives are put at risk and ensuring that Malta's natural beauty can be enjoyed without unnecessary danger.

Preventing every accident may be impossible, but preventing avoidable ones should always remain the objective.