Italian divers' corpses found in Maldives cave tragedy

Rome — The bodies of the four Italian divers who went missing during a cave dive in the Maldives have been located, Italian authorities confirmed on Sunday, bringing a tragic end to a days long search operation complicated by strong underwater currents and hazardous conditions.

The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed that Monica Montefalcone, Giorgia Sommacal, Federico Gualtieri and Muriel Oddenino had been identified inside the Alimathà cave system in the Vaavu Atoll. The body of Gianluca Benedetti had already been recovered on the day of the accident, which occurred last Thursday during an underwater expedition.

Search operations resumed on Sunday morning with the support of a specialised team of three Finnish divers from Dan Europe, which arrived in the Maldives to coordinate recovery plans alongside the Maldivian Coast Guard.

According to Maldivian authorities, the bodies were located in the third section of the cave near the Cave Dive site in Vaavu Atoll following a search mission carried out by rescue teams.

The operation has faced significant challenges owing to dangerous currents and the depth of the cave system. Mohamed Hussain Shareef, chief spokesperson for the Maldivian President’s Office, said rescuers relied on a remotely operated vehicle, or Rov, during the latest phase of the mission because deep dives were considered too dangerous.

“There will be no deep diving today,” Shareef told local media, explaining that the site was instead being inspected while foreign specialists familiarised themselves with conditions on the ground.

He added that foreign divers, the Maldivian rescue mission and police diving teams were all involved in the ongoing recovery effort.

The search had previously been suspended following the death of Sergeant Major Mohamed Mahudhy, one of the Maldives Coast Guard’s most experienced divers, who reportedly suffered decompression sickness while taking part in rescue operations.

The tragedy has also prompted scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the dive and the authorisations granted for the expedition. Italian media reports indicate the divers were exploring cave systems at depths of around 50 metres, considerably beyond the 30 metre limit generally permitted for recreational diving.

Questions have also emerged concerning the vessel involved in the excursion, the Duke of York, whose licence has reportedly been suspended indefinitely pending investigations.

Further attention has focused on the nature of the expedition itself. The University of Genoa stated that the cave dive did not form part of the scientific activities authorised under the mission connected to the voyage and had instead been undertaken in a personal capacity.

Italian and Maldivian authorities are now expected to investigate whether safety procedures, permits and depth restrictions were properly observed before the fatal descent.

The deaths have shocked Italy’s diving community and cast renewed attention on the risks associated with deep cave exploration, regarded as among the most technically demanding and dangerous forms of diving.

PS