The bodies of four Italian divers who lost their lives last Thursday during a cave dive in the Maldives have been located by authorities. The information was reported by local media and confirmed by Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One body belonging to the fifth member of the group had already been found after Thursday’s incident.
Read: Italy: Mourning for five deaths in 50-meter deep dive in Maldives – Possible scenarios (Images)
The initial search had been suspended after the death of military diver Mohamed Mahoudi during a dangerous mission to reach them, but searches resumed today, Monday. The recovery operations began with assistance from a three-member Finnish diving team. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu stated: “The death of a Maldivian National Defence Forces diver during a search operation for missing tourists deeply saddens me and every Maldivian citizen. This is heartbreaking news.”
“We cannot leave their bodies at the mercy of sharks”
Earlier, DAN Europe’s managing director Laura Maroni, speaking to Italian newspaper La Stampa, emphasized that time is running out. “We will bring them back. We cannot leave their bodies at the mercy of sharks. We need specialists,” she declared. She warned that in the warm waters of the region, the presence of predators cannot be ruled out. “Unfortunately, in warm waters, even if we don’t know exactly what fauna exists in the cave, we cannot exclude the danger from sharks or other environmental impacts,” she noted, adding that in previous recovery operations “the worst had happened” and that “every hour that passes is critical.”
The specialist diving team has experience in dives reaching nearly 500 feet, enabling them to operate in conditions where conventional rescue teams cannot function. “We offered decades of experience and immediately selected the best and most experienced divers available: the Finnish team,” Maroni said. The mission arrived in the Maldives capital hours after the death of the country’s armed forces rescue diver, Sergeant Mohamed Mahounti. Mahounti had been recorded on video Friday alongside Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu during preparation for what would be his final mission.
Maldives: Who were the victims of the tragedy
The victims of the tragedy were Italians Monica Montefalcone, 52, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, 20, Muriel Oddenino, 31, Gianluca Benedetti, 44, and Federico Gualtieri, 31. According to reports, all but one were connected to the University of Genoa, while another team member survived because they decided at the last minute not to enter the water. Authorities are investigating the possibility that the deaths were caused by oxygen toxicity, a condition that can occur in very deep dives due to prolonged exposure to high oxygen concentrations.
No local guide present
Meanwhile, it was revealed that there was no local guide to accompany the team to the cave, as required by Maldivian law. Investigators are also trying to determine whether the team used an “Ariadne’s thread” – a rope used by divers while exploring caves to help them stay close together and find entrances and exits in cavities. Using the rope is mandatory in certain caves. Local regulations allow diving to a maximum depth of 98 feet, but experienced professionals are known to go deeper.
Accidents related to diving and water sports are relatively rare in the South Asian country, although several fatal incidents have been reported in recent years.
