Finnish divers join the search for the remains of 4 Italian divers in the Maldives

Three Finnish divers arrived on Sunday in the Maldives to carry out a new program to search for bodies four Italian divers believed to be deep inside an underwater cave. The initial search was called off after a local military diver died during a dangerous mission to reach them.

A group of five Italian divers are believed to have died while exploring a cave about 160 meters deep, or 50 meters, in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, according to Italy's Foreign Ministry. The recreational limit for diving in the Maldives is 98 feet, or 30 meters.

The spokesman for the president of the Maldives, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, said the search was suspended after Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defense Force, died due to illness underwater after being transferred to a hospital in the capital on Saturday.

Shareef said on Sunday three Finnish divers, experts in diving and cave diving, had arrived in the island nation and joined the Maldives coast guard in a meeting aimed at mapping out a new search strategy.

Mahudhee was buried with military honors at a funeral attended by President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday night. The diver was part of the team that informed Muizzu about the rescue plan when he visited the search area on Friday.

Bad weather has repeatedly hampered rescue efforts.

Search operations on Saturday involved eight local divers working in shifts to find the bodies, Italy's Foreign Ministry said. The first teams were already diving to identify and mark the entrance to the cave system where the Italians disappeared. The cause of death is still under investigation.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that everything possible will be done to return the victims to their homes. He expressed his condolences on the death of a Maldivian diver during rescue efforts.

The victims were identified as Monica Montefalcone, associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; his daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, according to the Maldivian government.

Benedetti's body was found on Thursday near the mouth of the cave. Authorities believe the remaining four entered the cave.

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 where the fatal accident occurred was not part of an organized study and was “conducted in secret,” it said.

The statement also said that the other two victims – student Sommacal and recent graduate Galtieri – were not involved in scientific work.

Carlo Sommacal, Montefalcone's husband and Giorgia's father, expressed doubts about the accident, saying “something must have happened down there” because of the extensive experience of his wife and daughter.

Speaking to Italian TV, he described Montefalcone as a careful and disciplined diver who would never put his daughter or other colleagues in danger.

The Italian tour operator that ran the dive tour denied authorizing or knowing about the deep dive that violated local limits, its lawyer told Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Saturday.

Orietta Stella, representing Albatros Top Boat, said the boat's operator “didn't know” the group planned to descend beyond the 30-metre limit. The border requires special permission from the Maldivian maritime authorities and the tour operator “wouldn't allow it,” he said.

The dive went far beyond what was planned for a scientific expedition focused on taking coral at the usual depth, Stella said. The victims were experienced divers, but the equipment used appeared to be standard recreational gear rather than technical equipment suitable for deep-water diving, he said.

Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires special training, equipment and strict safety rules. Dangers are greatest in areas where divers cannot go straight up and deep, especially when conditions are poor. Experts say it's easy to get confused or lost inside the caves, especially since clouds of sediment can greatly reduce visibility.

Diving to 50 meters also exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most authorized scuba certification companies, with depths greater than 40 meters, or about 130 feet, considered technical diving and requiring special training and equipment.

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the cave is divided into three large rooms connected by small openings. Recovery teams checked two of the three rooms on Friday, but the search was limited due to oxygen depletion and collapse.

Italian officials said about 20 other Italians on the same voyage of the ship “Duke of York” were safe. The Italian embassy in Colombo was providing assistance to those on board and was in contact with the Red Crescent, which offered to send volunteers to help provide psychological assistance.

The Maldives Department of Tourism said it has suspended the operating license of the “Duke of York” pending an investigation.