A 51-year-old Italian diver is in serious condition after getting into difficulty while diving off the coast of Comino.

The incident unfolded at around 1pm, when the diver was brought ashore at Mġarr Harbour in Gozo unconscious, prompting an immediate call for assistance, the police said.

An ambulance was dispatched to the scene and rushed him to the Gozo General Hospital for urgent medical treatment.

Magistrate Dr. Monica Vella LL.D. has been informed of the case and has opened a Magisterial Inquiry, while police investigations are ongoing.