Bodies of Italian divers found after four-day search in Maldives cave diving tragedy
A dangerous underwater cave, rough seas, a failed rescue mission and a military diver's death turned a scientific trip in the Maldives into a multi-layered tragedy that raised fresh questions about extreme recreational diving.
The bodies of four Italian scuba divers who vanished during a deep-sea cave expedition in the Maldives have been recovered, days after a search mission that also claimed the life of a Maldivian military diver.
The Maldives government confirmed on Monday that the missing divers were found four days after the fatal expedition near Vaavu Atoll, where the group is believed to have entered an underwater cave around 50 metres below the surface.
The accident took place on Thursday during what officials described as a private scuba diving activity. Authorities believe the divers became trapped deep inside the cave system, where poor visibility and narrow underwater passages complicated rescue operations.
One member of the group, diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, was found dead near the cave entrance shortly after the incident. Search teams later recovered the bodies of Monica Montefalcone, Giorgia Sommacal, Federico Gualtieri and Muriel Oddenino.
MILITARY DIVER DIED DURING SEARCH OPERATION
The operation took a further tragic turn on Saturday when Maldivian National Defence Force diver Mohamed Mahudhee died after suffering underwater decompression sickness while taking part in the search mission.
Maldives Presidential Spokesman Mohammed Hussain Shareef said, “The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission.”
Mahudhee had been among the officials who briefed Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on the rescue plan during his visit to the search site on Friday.
Rough weather repeatedly disrupted operations, while divers faced severe limitations caused by oxygen levels, decompression risks and the complexity of the underwater cave system.
According to Italian officials, the cave consists of three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams managed to explore two chambers before conditions forced them to suspend operations temporarily.
SCIENTIFIC MISSION TURNED DEADLY
The victims included respected marine researchers and academics.
Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa, and researcher Muriel Oddenino were in the Maldives as part of an official scientific mission studying marine ecosystems and the impact of climate change on tropical biodiversity.
In a statement released on Friday, the University of Genoa said the fatal dive “was undertaken privately” and was not connected to the planned scientific programme.
The university also said Giorgia Sommacal, Montefalcone’s daughter and a student, along with recent graduate Federico Gualtieri, were not involved in the scientific mission.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said “everything possible” would be done to bring the victims home.
Italy’s Foreign Ministry said it had coordinated with Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to assist recovery teams and support the repatriation process.
Italian authorities also confirmed that around 20 other Italians aboard the expedition vessel Duke of York were safe.
Italy’s embassy in Colombo remained in contact with those onboard and sought support from the Red Crescent to provide psychological assistance.
QUESTIONS OVER EXTREME CAVE DIVING
The Maldives tourism ministry has suspended the operating licence of the vessel Duke of York pending an investigation into the incident.
Authorities are still investigating what caused the divers’ deaths.
Experts say cave diving is among the most dangerous forms of scuba diving because divers cannot ascend directly to the surface in an emergency. Risks increase sharply at greater depths and in low-visibility environments where sediment can cloud underwater passages within seconds.
The dive reportedly took place at around 50 metres, well beyond the Maldives’ recreational diving limit of 30 metres.
Most major scuba certification agencies classify dives beyond 40 metres as technical diving, requiring specialised training, equipment and safety procedures.
Maldivian authorities had earlier said they expected two Italian experts, a deep-sea rescue specialist and a cave diving specialist, to assist with the operation.
The bodies of four Italian scuba divers who vanished during a deep-sea cave expedition in the Maldives have been recovered, days after a search mission that also claimed the life of a Maldivian military diver.
The Maldives government confirmed on Monday that the missing divers were found four days after the fatal expedition near Vaavu Atoll, where the group is believed to have entered an underwater cave around 50 metres below the surface.
The accident took place on Thursday during what officials described as a private scuba diving activity. Authorities believe the divers became trapped deep inside the cave system, where poor visibility and narrow underwater passages complicated rescue operations.
One member of the group, diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, was found dead near the cave entrance shortly after the incident. Search teams later recovered the bodies of Monica Montefalcone, Giorgia Sommacal, Federico Gualtieri and Muriel Oddenino.
MILITARY DIVER DIED DURING SEARCH OPERATION
The operation took a further tragic turn on Saturday when Maldivian National Defence Force diver Mohamed Mahudhee died after suffering underwater decompression sickness while taking part in the search mission.
Maldives Presidential Spokesman Mohammed Hussain Shareef said, “The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission.”
Mahudhee had been among the officials who briefed Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on the rescue plan during his visit to the search site on Friday.
Rough weather repeatedly disrupted operations, while divers faced severe limitations caused by oxygen levels, decompression risks and the complexity of the underwater cave system.
According to Italian officials, the cave consists of three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams managed to explore two chambers before conditions forced them to suspend operations temporarily.
SCIENTIFIC MISSION TURNED DEADLY
The victims included respected marine researchers and academics.
Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa, and researcher Muriel Oddenino were in the Maldives as part of an official scientific mission studying marine ecosystems and the impact of climate change on tropical biodiversity.
In a statement released on Friday, the University of Genoa said the fatal dive “was undertaken privately” and was not connected to the planned scientific programme.
The university also said Giorgia Sommacal, Montefalcone’s daughter and a student, along with recent graduate Federico Gualtieri, were not involved in the scientific mission.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said “everything possible” would be done to bring the victims home.
Italy’s Foreign Ministry said it had coordinated with Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to assist recovery teams and support the repatriation process.
Italian authorities also confirmed that around 20 other Italians aboard the expedition vessel Duke of York were safe.
Italy’s embassy in Colombo remained in contact with those onboard and sought support from the Red Crescent to provide psychological assistance.
QUESTIONS OVER EXTREME CAVE DIVING
The Maldives tourism ministry has suspended the operating licence of the vessel Duke of York pending an investigation into the incident.
Authorities are still investigating what caused the divers’ deaths.
Experts say cave diving is among the most dangerous forms of scuba diving because divers cannot ascend directly to the surface in an emergency. Risks increase sharply at greater depths and in low-visibility environments where sediment can cloud underwater passages within seconds.
The dive reportedly took place at around 50 metres, well beyond the Maldives’ recreational diving limit of 30 metres.
Most major scuba certification agencies classify dives beyond 40 metres as technical diving, requiring specialised training, equipment and safety procedures.
Maldivian authorities had earlier said they expected two Italian experts, a deep-sea rescue specialist and a cave diving specialist, to assist with the operation.
