'They could have killed us': Trawler capsizes small fishing boat
The owner of a fishfarm has admitted one of its trawlers caused a small fishing boat to capsize, knocking two men into the water along with all of their belongings.
Charles Azzopardi, however, denied the trawler smashed into the smaller vessel, but instead claimed the boat was overturned by waves made by the trawler as it passed by.
The incident was detailed in a Facebook post by Aleandro Spiteri Monsigneur, who described a horror end to his first-ever fishing trip on July 13.
He and his friend, Jake, told Times of Malta they have filed a police report and claim the trawler hit their boat after heading straight towards it. Instead of apologising, its captain warned them not to return.
Spiteri Monsigneur described how the pair had set off roughly 10 kilometers off St. Paul's Bay coast in a 16-foot boat, close to fish farms owned by Azzopardi Fisheries.
After attempting to settle at a spot to fish, trawlers approached them asking to relocate elsewhere.
Once they moved next to around 25 other small fishing boats 30 metres away from the fish farm, they noticed another, bigger trawler heading in their direction, Spiteri Monsigneur recounted.
"As he approached us, we noticed the...