At about 1430 hours on the afternoon of Friday 11th January 2019, HM Customs Marine Base received a call from the Port Authority of a male who had been sighted in the sea approximately one nautical mile west of Europa Point.

Customs marine assets responded to the call following which the individual was located and pulled to safety. The male, an Algerian national, was wearing a wet suit and was found to be suffering from severe hypothermia. Customs officers administered first aid before he was taken back to shore and conveyed to St Bernard’s Hospital for treatment.

At about 2100 hours on Saturday 12th January, the male was discharged from hospital. Although he had documents within a waterproof bag, he had no valid permit. Having entered BGTW, the male was arrested for being a non-Gibraltarian found in Gibraltar without a valid permit or certificate before being conveyed to New Mole House police station. He was later charged with the offence and will appear before the Magistrates’ Court at 1000 hours on the 14th January 2019. Enquiries continue with a view to confirming his identity and provenance.