A Maldivian military diver has died during a high-risk operation to recover the bodies of four Italian scuba divers who drowned while exploring a deep underwater cave in the Maldives. Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian national defence force, suffered decompression sickness after searching for the bodies in Vaavu Atoll and died in hospital in the capital, Male.
The five Italians died in the accident on Thursday, according to Italy's foreign ministry. The body of one diver, Gianluca Benedetti, was found near the mouth of the cave, while the other four are believed to be inside the same cave, which is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. The deceased have been identified as Monica Montefalcone, an associate ecology professor at the University of Genoa, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, marine biologist Federico Gualtieri, researcher Muriel Oddenino, and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti.
Authorities temporarily suspended recovery attempts on Friday due to bad weather but resumed the search on Saturday. A team of eight divers had explored two of the three chambers on Friday but were hampered in efforts to explore the third. Two Italian experts—a deep-sea rescue specialist and a cave diving expert—were expected to join the recovery effort.
Mohamed Hussain Shareef, the Maldives presidential spokesperson, said Mahudhee's death highlighted the difficulty of the mission. He was part of the group that briefed President Mohamed Muizzu on the rescue plan. The incident is the worst single diving accident in the Maldives, which has 1,192 coral islands. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 metres, but the Italians were diving at 50 metres, exceeding the recommended maximum for recreational divers.
Italy's foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said the government would do everything possible to recover the bodies. The causes of death are unknown and under investigation. The University of Genoa said Montefalcone and Oddenino were on an official scientific mission to monitor marine environments and study the effects of the climate crisis on tropical biodiversity. The luxury yacht Duke of York, on which the Italians were passengers, had its operating licence suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of an investigation.
