The bodies of four Italian divers who went missing during a scuba diving incident in the Maldives have been located. The tragic event unfolded near Alimathaa Island in the Vaavu Atoll, where the group was exploring an underwater cave system. A fifth diver from the group had been found deceased earlier, following the accident on Thursday.
Discovery of the Bodies
The remains were discovered inside a sea cave at a depth of 60 metres in the Vaavu Atoll. A multinational team comprising Finnish and Maldivian divers conducted the search operation, as reported by BBC News. The recovery effort faced significant challenges, including the death of a rescue diver on Saturday, which temporarily suspended operations. The mission resumed on Monday, with authorities planning further dives to retrieve the bodies.
Maldivian government spokesperson Mohamed Hossain Shareef stated that the bodies were located in the third section of the cave, the farthest from its entrance. Additional dives would be necessary to complete the recovery. The first Italian diver is believed to have been found near the cave entrance on Thursday.
Identity of the Divers
The body of diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti was discovered at the cave mouth, leading authorities to believe the other four were inside. The missing divers included Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; and researcher Muriel Oddenino. They were on a scuba diving expedition aboard the Duke of York vessel, according to the Italian foreign ministry. A sixth diver reportedly chose not to enter the water with the group.
The group entered the water at Vaavu Atoll on Thursday morning and were reported missing after failing to resurface. During a second recovery mission, senior military diver Sergeant Mohamed Mahudhee, aged 43, lost his life while attempting to retrieve the missing divers. Shareef noted that Mahudhee was one of the most experienced divers, underscoring the difficulty of the dive.
Weather Conditions and Investigation
Authorities reported rough weather conditions at the dive site, located approximately 100 kilometres south of the Maldivian capital, Male. The Italian foreign ministry confirmed that the group had permission to study coral for their research but noted that the cave was not mentioned in their proposal. Recreational scuba divers are typically restricted to depths of up to 30 metres, raising questions about why the group ventured into a cave twice that depth. The incident remains under investigation.
