Rescue diver dies amid search for remains of 4 who perished in Maldives accident

Divers in the Maldives searched Saturday for the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be deep inside an underwater cave, after rough weather repeatedly hampered the effort the previous day.

Maldives Presidential Spokesman Mohammed Hussain Shareef said that the searchers have prepared a plan based on their progress exploring the cave on Friday.

Italy’s Foreign Ministry said earlier that the dive group are believed to have died while exploring a cave at a depth of about 160 feet in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said everything possible would be done to bring the victims home.

His ministry said it was coordinating with Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organization, to support recovery operations and the repatriation of the bodies. The cause of the deaths remains under investigation.

The victims 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, according to the Maldivian government.

Benedetti’s body was recovered 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 Friday.

It added, however, that the scuba diving activity during which the deadly accident occurred was not part of the planned research and was “undertaken privately.” Police said the weather was rough in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday and there was a yellow warning for passenger boats and fishermen. 

It added that two other victims — student Sommacal and recent graduate Gualtieri — were not involved in the scientific mission.

Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires specialized training, equipment and strict safety protocols. Risks increase sharply in environments where divers cannot head straight up and at depth, particularly when conditions are poor. Experts say it’s easy to become disoriented or lost inside caves, particularly as sediment clouds can sharply reduce visibility.

Diving at 50 meters also exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most major established scuba certifying agencies, with depths beyond 40 meters considered technical diving and requiring specialized training and equipment. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 meters. 

Shareef said Benedetti’s body was found near the mouth of the cave and authorities believed the remaining four had entered the cave.

Two Italians — a deep-sea rescue expert and a cave diving expert — are expected to join the recovery effort, Shareef said.

Italian officials said around 20 other Italians who were on the same expedition aboard a vessel named the “Duke of York” were safe. Italy’s embassy in Colombo was providing assistance to those onboard and had contacted the Red Crescent, which offered to deploy volunteers to help provide psychological aid.

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

The Italian foreign ministry said the cave is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers on Friday, but the search was limited due to considerations over oxygen and decompression.

On Saturday, they will explore the third chamber, the ministry added.

Italian officials and the honorary consul are in contact with the victims’ families to provide assistance.

Muizzu said searching for the remaining victims is the country’s “highest priority.” 

“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased Italian, the missing four Italians and everyone affected,” Muizzu said in a statement on social media.

Local officials called the incident it the worst single diving accident in the history of the Maldives, a nation of 1,192 tiny coral islands scattered some 500 miles across the equator in the Indian Ocean.

Diving and water-sport-related accidents appear to be relatively rare in the South Asian nation, although several fatal incidents have been reported in recent years.

A British woman tourist died while diving in December, and her distraught 71-year-old husband died a few days later after falling ill.

A 26-year-old Japanese tourist went missing after a diving expedition near the capital in June.

Local media reports said at least 112 tourists had died in marine-related incidents in the archipelago in the past six years, with 42 of them falling victim to diving or snorkeling accidents.