An exploration of a cave at approximately 50 meters deep in Vaavu Atoll tragically claimed the lives of five Italian divers, as reported by Italy’s Foreign Ministry. Notably, the Maldives imposes a recreational diving limit of 30 meters.
Mohammed Hussain Shareef, spokesperson for the Maldivian presidency, announced that Mohamed Mahudhee, a Maldivian National Defence Force member, succumbed to underwater decompression sickness on Saturday. He had been hospitalized in the capital city following the incident.
“This unfortunate death underscores the mission’s challenges,” Shareef remarked.
Prior to this, Shareef detailed that the search team had devised a strategy after assessing the cave on Friday. Mahudhee was involved in briefing President Mohamed Muizzu about the rescue operations during his visit to the search area on the same day.
The recovery efforts have faced significant disruptions due to adverse weather conditions.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has pledged to do everything possible to return the victims to their homeland. His ministry is collaborating with Divers Alert Network, a diving expertise organization, to facilitate both the recovery and repatriation processes. The precise circumstances surrounding the divers’ deaths remain under investigation.
The victims have been identified as Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, according to the Maldivian government.
Benedetti’s body was recovered on Thursday.
Montefalcone and Oddenino were in the Maldives on an official scientific mission to monitor marine environments and study the effects of climate change on tropical biodiversity, the University of Genoa said in a statement on Friday. However, the scuba diving activity during which the deadly accident occurred was not part of the planned research and was “undertaken privately”, it said.
The statement also said the two other victims â student Sommacal and recent graduate Gualtieri â were not involved in the scientific mission.
Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires specialised training, equipment and strict safety protocols. Risks increase sharply in environments where divers cannot head straight up and at depth, particularly when conditions are poor. Experts say it’s easy to become disoriented or lost inside caves, particularly as sediment clouds can sharply reduce visibility.
Diving at 50 metres also exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most major established scuba certifying agencies, with depths beyond 40 metres considered technical diving and requiring specialised training and equipment.
Shareef said Benedetti’s body was found near the mouth of the cave and authorities believed the remaining four had entered the cave.
Two Italians, a deep-sea rescue expert and a cave diving expert, are expected to join the recovery effort, Shareef said.
Italian officials said that around 20 other Italians on the same expedition aboard the vessel Duke of York were safe. Italy’s embassy in Colombo was providing assistance to those onboard and had contacted the Red Crescent, which offered to deploy volunteers to help provide psychological aid.
The Maldives tourism ministry said it has suspended the operating licence of the Duke of York pending an investigation.
The Italian foreign ministry said the cave is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers on Friday, but the search was limited due to considerations over oxygen and decompression.
On Saturday, they would explore the third chamber, the ministry added.
Italian officials and the honorary consul are in contact with the victims’ families to provide assistance.
