Maldives Scuba Diving Tragedy: Five Italian Divers Die During Underwater Cave Exploration
A tragic scuba diving accident in the Maldives claimed the lives of five Italian nationals after they reportedly became trapped while exploring a deep underwater cave in the Vaavu Atoll region.
Authorities on Friday launched a difficult and high-risk search operation to recover the bodies of four missing divers. The body of the fifth victim had already been recovered a day earlier.
According to Maldivian presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef, the group is believed to have entered the underwater cave during a diving expedition before they went missing.
Four of the victims were associated with the University of Genoa.
They were identified as ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, research fellow Muriel Oddenino, and marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri.
The fifth victim, Gianluca Benedetti, worked as a diving instructor and boat operations manager.
The Italian Foreign Ministry said the divers apparently lost their lives while attempting to explore caves located nearly 50 metres (164 feet) underwater.
Officials described the cave system as extremely dangerous and difficult to access.
Shareef noted that even highly experienced divers equipped with advanced gear generally avoid approaching the cave because of its depth and hazardous conditions.
The divers had reportedly departed from the yacht Duke of York, which was carrying a group of Italian nationals in the Maldives.
According to the Italian Foreign Ministry, the remaining 20 passengers on board are safe and are receiving assistance from the Italian Embassy in Sri Lanka.
Search and rescue teams have deployed boats, aircraft and specialised divers to locate the remaining bodies.
However, officials said the recovery operation remains extremely challenging because of the cave’s complex underwater structure.
A report by the BBC quoted a dive master suggesting that “oxygen toxicity” may have played a role in the tragedy.
Oxygen toxicity is a dangerous condition that can occur when divers breathe oxygen at very high pressure underwater, causing the gas to become toxic to the body.
Officials also revealed that the cave consists of three large chambers connected through narrow underwater passages.
Rescue teams have already searched two of the chambers, while operations to search the third section are expected to continue on Saturday.
