An 11-year-old British schoolboy has died at a popular tourist hotspot, while his father remains missing.
The family were enjoying the final day of their holiday in Malta on Monday when the pair got into trouble while swimming at Ramla Bay.
According to local reports, the 37-year-old father was swimming with his 11-year-old son in front of relatives when they began to struggle in the water.
Police were alerted at around 1.15pm and an extensive search including rescuers from the Armed Forces of Malta and the Civil Protection Department was launched using dinghies and a helicopter.
The boy was found in the water and treated at the scene before he was taken to Gozo General Hospital.
He was, however, later pronounced dead.
His father remains unfound although a search effort is ongoing.
As of Tuesday morning, authorities confirmed they are continuing to comb the bay.
The boy and his father were swimming in Ramla Bay when they got into difficulty
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Warnings of strong northwest winds were issued by the Met Office on Monday, however it is not clear if these conditions contributed to the incident.
It is believed other relatives have since flown out to Malta to support the family members.
So far this year, 16 people have now drown in Malta, according to the Times of Malta.
In September, a British tourist drowned in the island's famous Blue Lagoon after using a slide on a pleasure boat.
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In September a British tourist died after using a slide on a pleasure boat in Blue Lagoon
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Other holidaymakers pulled him from the water and performed CPR at the scene before volunteer first aiders from Malta's Emergency Response and Rescue Corps ferried him to Mgarr Harbour in Gozo.
Despite their best efforts, he was pronounced dead upon his arrival at Victoria Hospital.
Police confirmed an inquiry into his death had been launched by Magistrate Brigitte Sultana.
Last month Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg announced plans to improve the safety of the Blue Lagoon while also protecting its fragile ecosystem.
Proposals for the tourist hotspot included shoreline kiosks which would create a 200-metre scenic walkway and the restoration of 35,000 square metres of shrubland.
The project, named Blue Lagoon Rehabilitation: Balancing Nature and Experience, aims to increase the swimming zone by around 5,600 square metres and move vessel operations away from swimmers.