'Gentle soul' Oriana Bertolino identified as victim of quad bike accident in Gozo

Volleyball player Oriana Bertolino, 31, has been identified as the victim of the horrific quad bike crash in Wied Mielaħ in Gozo on Saturday.

Tributes poured in on social media on Sunday, accompanied by messages of shock, disbelief and condolences, as family and friends learned of his death.

They hailed her as a “fantastic person who was always smiling” and as a volleyball player and coach who had “a brilliant career” and who loved animals and coaching children.

Others said her intelligence was unmatched, her soul gentle and described her as “an excellent person and an excellent professional.”

Bertolino died when the quad bike she was riding crashed off a cliff into the sea, along one side of the picturesque Wied il-Mielaħ in Għarb, at around 8pm on Saturday.

The vehicle was driven by a 47-year-old Italian who, according to police, lost control of it. He managed to get to safety when the quad went down the cliff and into the sea, but Bertolino, who was a passenger, fell into the sea.

Her body was found after a search, but she succumbed to her injuries.

It seems she was in Malta on holiday.

Many heartbreaking messages came from the Sicilian town of Marsala, where Oriana was from.

Mayor Massimo Grillo announced the news on social media on Sunday, saying her death leaves a “void in the hearts of all who knew her.”

“In these moments of pain, I would like to express, on behalf of the municipal administration and all the citizens of Marsala, our most sincere condolences and our closeness to Oriana's family,” he wrote.

“May Oriana rest in peace and may her family find the strength to face this immense pain.”

Two weeks ago, on his Facebook page, Bertolino posted a message about life choices, saying that everyone should be peaceful in their own way.

“And that’s it. Friends get married, live together, and have families. I play PlayStation, read a fantasy book a day, and save animals. There is no “right” that applies to everyone. Everyone must be peaceful in their own way,” she wrote.

Sources close to the investigation told Times of Malta on Sunday that the police and the Italian embassy in Malta had informed the family of their daughter's tragic death and that they were expected to come to Malta in the coming days.