The bodies of the remaining four Italian divers missing after last week’s cave-diving accident in Vaavu Atoll were found today, bringing a tragic conclusion to one of the deadliest diving incidents recorded in the Maldives.
The divers disappeared on Thursday while exploring an underwater cave system near Alimathaa at depths estimated between 50 and 60 meters. Authorities said the dive took place well beyond the Maldives’ recreational diving depth limit of 30 meters.
One diver’s body had been found shortly after the incident, while the remaining four remained trapped inside the cave network as rough sea conditions, strong currents and poor underwater visibility complicated search efforts for several days.
The victims were identified as Monica Montefalcone, Giorgia Sommacal, Muriel Oddenino, Federico Gualtieri and Gianluca Benedetti. International media reports stated that several members of the group had academic and marine research backgrounds connected to the University of Genoa in Italy.
The recovery mission also claimed the life of Maldivian National Defence Force diver Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahudhee, who reportedly suffered decompression sickness while participating in the search operation. His death led to a temporary suspension of recovery efforts due to the dangerous conditions inside the cave system.
Specialist cave divers from Finland later joined local authorities to assist in locating the remaining bodies inside the deep underwater passages.
Maldivian authorities have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the dive, including whether appropriate technical-diving procedures and equipment were used. The operating licence of the liveaboard vessel Duke of York, which supported the dive expedition, has reportedly been suspended pending the investigation.
The incident has drawn international attention and renewed discussions within the diving community about safety standards for deep and cave diving operations in the Maldives.
