In a heartbreaking turn of events, five Italian tourists tragically lost their lives while scuba diving in an underwater cave in The Maldives, prompting a police inquiry into the incident, as authorities disclosed on Thursday.
Among the victims were Monica Montefalcone, a marine biology professor from the University of Genoa, and her 20-year-old daughter, Giorgia Sommacal. They, along with three others, were exploring the depths of Vaavu Atoll, diving to an impressive 160 feet, when they disappeared, the Italian foreign ministry confirmed.
The other adventurers who did not surface were identified as Muriel Oddenino from Turin, Gianluca Benedetti from Padua, and Federico Gualtieri from Borgomanero. Their tragic fates were reported by the UK Sun.
Rescue teams swiftly responded to the distress call at around 1:45 p.m., scouring the azure waters off the island of Alimatha, a renowned diving locale in the Indian Ocean. Despite their urgent efforts, the divers were found deceased.
Earlier that day, the group had embarked on their fateful dive from the Duke of York yacht, aiming to explore one of The Maldives’ most esteemed diving destinations, as per reports from The Edition, a local news source.
The precise circumstances leading to this tragic incident remain unclear and are currently under investigation.
Weather in the area was rough Thursday – with strong winds up to 30 mph — though it wasn’t clear if those conditions played a role.
Local cops have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the underwater disaster, but their causes of death hadn’t been revealed.
The tragedy is the likely single worst diving accident the nation has ever seen, local officials said.
