Following last night’s fatal incident off Eastern beach, the Chief Minister has sent his condolences to the family of the deceased man and expressed his sympathy to the Mayor of La Linea.  He has promised that a full investigation into the relevant circumstances will start immediately.

The Chief Minister has also expressed his concerns about the welfare of the Customs officers involved in the incident, especially that of the officer who bravely dived into the sea to attempt a rescue. 

Mr Picardo said, ‘The exact circumstances surrounding this tragic incident are still unclear but I have sent my deepest condolences to the family involved and to the Mayor of La Linea.

This incident highlights the bravery of our law enforcement officers and confirms our decision to invest in new vessels which provide them with the safest possible working environment in which to carry out their dangerous work.  We will continue to invest in the resources they have at their disposal to do their jobs safely and securely.  We have also amended our law considerably to strengthen the powers of law enforcement agents.  We will continue to do so as we may be advised is necessary or desirable by the Commissioner and the Collector.  This sad matter now lies with the Coroner’s office and is therefore sub judice.  We will obviously be providing as much information as we can and operating closely with Spanish law enforcement agencies to ensure the family of the deceased have as much information as possible on the circumstances of this tragic event.’