Maldives diver dies searching for bodies of 4 Italians in underwater cave – National
A Maldivian military diver died on Saturday while searching for the bodies of four Italian divers believed to have entered an underwater cave.
A group of five Italian divers are believed to have died while exploring a cave about 50 meters deep in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, according to Italy's Foreign Ministry. The recreational limit for diving in the Maldives is 30 meters.
The spokesperson of the President of the Maldives, Mohammed Hussain Shareef, said that Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defense Force, died of illness underwater after being transferred to a hospital in the capital.
“Death will show the difficulty of the mission,” he said.
Earlier, Shareef said the detectives prepared a plan based on their process of exploring the cave on Friday. Mahudhee was part of the team that briefed Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on the rescue plan when he visited the search area on Friday.
Bad weather has repeatedly hampered recovery efforts.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that everything possible will be done to bring the victims home. His department said it was working with the Divers Alert Network, which is a specialized organization for diving, to support recovery operations and the recovery of bodies. The cause of death is still under investigation.
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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.
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 at the time of the fatal accident 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.
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 many major established scuba certification agencies, with depths greater than 40 meters being considered professional diving and requiring special training and equipment.
Shareef said Benedetti's body was found near the mouth of the cave and the authorities believe that the remaining four entered the cave.
Two Italians, a deep-sea rescue specialist and a cave diving specialist, are expected to join the rescue effort, Shareef said.
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 Department of Tourism in the Maldives said it has suspended the operating license of the “Duke of York” pending an investigation.
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the cave was 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.
On Saturday, they would inspect the third room, the ministry added.
Italian officials and a respected lawyer are contacting the families of the victims to offer assistance.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
