Intend to sail the Med? Watch for Stray Bullets

'Location of Pembroke' .

If you are going to be sailing in the Mediterranean any time soon, and anywhere near Malta - look out for the Red Flags!

A couple who were sailing on their yacht along the northern coast of Malta had a lucky escape, as a stray bullet fired from the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) shooting range in Pembroke during training hit the boat just a few feet away from where the woman was sitting.

Bullet damage on yacht sailing past Malta - .. .

Speaking to www.di-ve.com, the owner of the boat said they had just sailed past the red flag [which signals the edge of the range] shortly after midday when they heard a loud noise. Upon realising that the boat had been hit by a bullet, he said he turned to starboard and sped away from the land as quickly as possible.

'It is their [the AFM's] duty to make sure there is nobody in the water while they are firing,' the owner commented, adding that they were lucky there were no serious consequences.

He said there were at least another three boats in the vicinity.

'Although our sails were down, the boat is not small and it should have been visible from land,' he said, adding that he was about one mile off the coast at the time of the incident.

The bullet - which was possibly that of an AK-47 rifle - perforated two sheets of stainless steel and went right through the vessel's fibreglass, eventually ending on the cabin's floor.

by Chris Galea - cgal@di-ve.com/Sail-World